Breaking down barriers into astronomy, one student at a time.

      Since 2020, I’ve volunteered with nonprofits across San Diego, organizing food drives, cleaning our neighborhoods, and tutoring students. Over time, I started noticing patterns. Students from wealthier neighborhoods had access to STEM programs, mentors, and after-school clubs. Students in underserved areas didn’t. It wasn’t about interest or ability. It was about access, and who got to be seen as someone with potential.

​

      To combat this, I focused my energy on computer science education in 2023. My friend and I created custom workshops to teach Scratch, HTML, and CSS to elementary and middle school students. It was powerful to watch them gain confidence as they realized what they could build. But it was also clear who was missing from the room. Our workshops often lacked students of color and kids from lower-income schools. Not because they weren’t interested, but because the systems around them weren’t built to include them.

​

      At the same time, I was diving deeper into my own interest: astronomy. It’s what first sparked my love of science. But the more I learned about the field, the more I saw how exclusive it can be. Astronomy is filled with barriers: high costs, underfunded programs, and a severe lack of representation. I started thinking about the students I worked with, and how many of them might never see astronomy as something they could be part of, not because they weren’t capable, but because no one ever showed them a path in.

     

     That’s why I founded Quasars and Answers (Q&A). Lack of access should not be the reason a student never

discovers what they’re capable of. We create and distribute hands-on AstroKits, offer free resources like

blogs and podcasts, and partner with community centers to bring astronomy to students who are too

often overlooked, starting just locally in San Diego. Q&A also collects monetary donations to help

fund the AstroKits.

​

     Every student deserves a chance to be curious. To explore. To imagine their place in the universe,

as a future scientist. We’re here to make that path visible. So please, join us in our effort to fight

disparity in astronomy education, one student at a time.

 

Sincerely,

Colin Benaissa, Founder