The BranchOut! Blog

This past week, BranchOut! students proved that geographical distance is no barrier to making a difference. From the suburbs of Virginia to the neighborhood parks of Newton, Massachusetts, our mentors took grassroots fundraising into their own hands to support the Dunstan Wai Foundation and the underserved girls it serves. The goal? Raise vital funds for young and orphaned women in South Sudan and Northern Uganda—where illiteracy rates reach up to 81%. Knowing that just $650

When 20+ eager young innovators stepped into the Richard Byrd Library in Springfield, VA, on Saturday, July 25th, they were met with a simple yet formidable task: build the ultimate bridge out of plastic straws and construct a towering skyscraper using only index cards. What followed was two hours of sheer creativity, intense teamwork, and breakthrough moments. As one of BranchOut!’s largest community STEAM Camp sessions of the summer in the DMV area (DC/MD/VA), the event

BranchOut! is officially expanding its footprint with the launch of the new Iowa Chapter. Driven by a mission to foster youth leadership, civic engagement, and academic success, student leaders in the Iowa City area didn't just quietly debut this summer; they hit the ground running with an impressive lineup of cultural, athletic, academic, and civic initiatives. Here is a look at how the Iowa Chapter made an immediate impact across North Liberty, Coralville, and Iowa City. Br

The 2026 World Cup is now in full swing in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. In my home city, Boston, the streets are flooded with national supporters from all over the world. The Tartan Army, Scotland’s fans, have made dozens of local headlines over the past few weeks, drinking bars dry, ‘coning’ statues, among a lot of other fun stuff. The actual playing has been just as exciting, especially if you’ve been following the astronomic run that Cape Verde’s

Reading through the incredible history of Tabor Academy and its unique relationship with Buzzards Bay got me thinking. It’s one thing to stand on the edge of Sippican Harbor and admire the sheer, raw energy of the ocean—the rising tides, the constant wind, and the relentless roll of the waves. It’s another thing entirely to realize that we, as high schoolers, have a massive role to play in protecting this giant "natural battery" and finding ways to safely harness its power.