Tonee Lawson founded her organization in 2014 to facilitate the social and emotional growth of Baltimore’s young people through STEM, college- and career-readiness programming beyond schools.
That nonprofit, The Be. Org, commemorates a decade of that work this year. Its flagship events like Tech Con (formerly Youth Tech Con), the Beyond a Dream Youth Conference and an annual Sneaker Ball fundraiser are all prongs in its approach to support Baltimore youth.
With its 10-year milestone afoot, Lawson said that The Be. Org aims “to continue doing what we do on a more amplified level.”
You can look forward to seeing more student-centered, student-led events,” the executive director told Technical.ly via email. “We will be leaning into the lived experiences of our partners, students, and our graduates as they serve as near-peer mentors to the next generation of STEM leaders.”
The ED said that we can expect to hear from The Be. Org’s students more directly, as she’ll be encouraging them to share their STEM education journeys and how that might prepare them for the future. The organization’s team also plans to move into a role of mentorship for organizations with similar models in 2024.
