Est. 2020

Building pathways into science for the students furthest from them.

An education nonprofit supporting first-generation / low-income (FLi) students pursue careers in science (Sci).


By the numbers
150+ FLi Sci Scholars served across four cohorts
20+ States reached across the United States
90+% Report an increase in their science identity
100% College enrollment rate among alumni scholars
Our Story

Founded in response to a gap that should not exist.

FLi Sci — short for first-generation / low-income scientists — was founded by Gabriel Reyes in June 2020. The premise was direct: students in poverty are systematically under-resourced when it comes to accessing, pursuing, and engaging with scientific opportunities. Almost no organization was building a deliberate pipeline to change that.

What began as a virtual summer research program — created for The Opportunity Network during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic — quickly revealed a deeper truth: programs of this kind needed to reach students in places where science was either unreachable or entirely absent. FLi Sci was built to be that program, and to make those pathways permanent.

Today we serve scholars from high school through graduate training, providing mentorship, research exposure, and the kinds of relationships that change careers and lives.

Read the full story


Programs

Five tracks, one mission: prepare scholars for scientific careers.

Track 01

STEM

Our broadest track, offering exposure to STEM disciplines and the scientific method through hands-on research mentorship with a graduate-level mentor.

Explore track
Track 02

FLi Psy

A psychology and behavioral-science track that introduces scholars to the foundations of research design, measurement, and the study of human minds and behavior.

Explore track
Track 03

Pre-Medical

A pre-medical track that provides mentorship for medical school programs and covers research topics in health, genetics, epidemiology, and pharmacology.

Explore track
Track 04

Social Science

An interdisciplinary track that exposes students to research topics in sociology, economics, political science, and law.

Explore track
Track 05

Data Science

A quantitative track that builds data literacy, statistical reasoning, and the technical confidence required in today's data-driven scientific fields.

Explore track

New cohorts recruit every spring · Stay informed

Scholar Voices

In their own words.

I really enjoyed the program. We learned something new every week and I think that those meetings were really valuable. I also really enjoyed the discussions that we had and the Journal Club in particular was pretty interesting.

Jessica GiangScholar, Cohort 2

I genuinely enjoyed attending this program seeing as it was consecutively the highlight of my week. I especially enjoyed how relatable this program was in terms of relatability. We talked about school, our weeks, topic of interests, which allowed versatility, all the while maintaining the goal-oriented aspect of it.

Ruth KendallScholar, Cohort 2

I learned a lot about a research question I was interested in, and I enjoyed speaking to other students who are interested in STEM but also might deal with the same obstacles as me.

Jaylene FranciscoScholar, Cohort 2

The program, in my opinion, helped me to have conversations I typically wouldn’t have, which made it very enjoyable.

Youssf HegazyScholar, Cohort 2
With support from
Albuquerque Community Foundation Skillman Foundation Roddenberry Foundation Westly Foundation ECMC Foundation McCune Foundation Camelback Ventures NewSchools 4.0 Schools True Ventures The Philadelphia Foundation Park City Community Foundation Echoing Green EdLoC · The Boulder Fund EGF Accelerator
Join Us

Become a scholar, an ally, or a partner.

Whether you're a student ready to apply, a scientist willing to mentor, or a funder who believes the scientific pipeline should look like the country — there's a role for you here.