About Our Chapters

The seed of BranchOut!, an award-winning program from Veritas Education Leaders, was planted in the Washington D.C. area, driven by a simple yet powerful idea: to share STEAM knowledge and foster civic engagement. Initially, it was a spark in a single community, organized by education experts but fiercely led by student leaders. The early success was undeniable, earning endorsements from leaders like US Senator Tim Kaine and securing the right to certify the U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award.

 

But the student leaders weren't content to keep that spark local. They believed the BranchOut! mission—to connect communities and promote cross-cultural understanding—needed a broader reach. The program's success, highlighted by their innovator program winning the US Congressional App Challenge award in 2020, proved the model was ready to grow.

 

The first branch took root close to home, in Howard County, Maryland, mirroring the dedication of the D.C. hub. Soon after, the spirit of inquiry and engagement traveled North, establishing a vibrant new chapter in Boston. The students there brought their own local flavor to the curriculum, demonstrating the program’s adaptability. Not long after, BranchOut! created a Baltimore Chapter and leaped across the continent, finding fertile ground in Los Angeles. This expansion to the West Coast completed a network of student-led initiatives, spanning from the political heart of the nation (DMV) to the academic hub of the North (Boston) and the innovation center of the West (LA).

 

Today, BranchOut! is a national tapestry of dedicated students, all united by the central goal of STEAM outreach and cross-cultural connection. Though separated by thousands of miles, the chapters—in D.C., Maryland, Boston, and L.A.—are interconnected, sharing resources and celebrating each other's successes, proving that a single, student-driven idea can truly branch out across America.