The BranchOut! Blog

On October 5th, the Kreeger Auditorium at Bender JCC of Greater Washington was filled with energy, inspiration, and gratitude as we celebrated a major milestone—our 10th anniversary. This special event brought together community members, students, mentors, and leaders to celebrate ten years of growth, leadership, and impactful service.

On October 18th, the Boston Chapter of BranchOut! had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the vibrant Cambridge Block Party. This lively community event brings neighbors together to celebrate local culture and creativity. We collaborated closely with the Community Art Center, a hub for fostering artistic expression and community engagement.

This year, BranchOut! hosted both STEM Day, run by the Community Workshops team, and our annual end-of-year picnic on Saturday, August 9, 2025. STEM Day ran inside Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, while the picnic took place at the Tysons Pimmit Park right behind the library. STEM Day was a huge success, with over 30 elementary and middle school students stopping by to participate in our activities. Throughout the event, attendees participated in a variety of hands-on activiti

On May 7th, 2025, BranchOut! welcomed admissions officers from some of America’s top universities: Mr. Jua Howard from UC Berkeley, Mr. Adrian Gutierrez from Cornell University, and Ms. Courtney Bradshaw from the University of Pennsylvania. Each panelist shared unique aspects of their university, highlighted key factors for applicants to consider, and offered advice on a range of topics, from student-led initiatives to international academic competitions. Attendees also had

BranchOut! receives the Maryland Governor's Citation, highlighting not only our tenth anniversary but also the significant impact we have achieved together. For the past decade, BranchOut! has been a steadfast advocate for education and cross-cultural understanding across the DMV region. Just last year, our dedicated HoCo mentors excelled by contributing over 1,600 service hours across 20 Howard County public schools.