Triple F Empowerment Inc. (TFE) is a Harlem based, 501c3, a public charity founded by Stephanie Farmer, Ms. Steph, in 2012. The TFE vision is to inspire, empower and encourage young people to pursue educational and career goals in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) fields.
We press towards this vision through a program called Ms. Steph’s Science Club (SSC). SSC’s mission is to provide students with positive educational experiences that will prepare them for future science courses while gaining and cultivating a deep passion for learning. SSC is comprised of 4 services; Summer Science Club, Special Events Science Club, Tutoring, and Traveling Science Teacher Initiative. Through the Traveling Science Teacher Initiative, we provide age-appropriate, hands-on STEAM workshops.
Since 2012, we’ve encouraged over 2000 young people, ages 2-22, to pursue educational and career goals in the STEAM fields. We have had the honor of cultivating the next generation of scientists in 18 locations; schools, after-school, and child development centers throughout New York City. Through community engagement, strategic planning, and fundraising, we surpassed our once lofty goal of inspiring, empowering, and encouraging a 1000 young scientists in the community by the end of the year 2020 a year early.
Meet Ms. Steph
Hi, I'm Stephanie E. Farmer, the founder of Triple F Empowerment Inc (TFE).
From a young age, I was interested in science, dance, singing and working with
children. I've been working with youth consistently since volunteering at Vacation
Bible School at age 12. I had amazing math and science teachers throughout junior
high and high school. I've traveled all over the world and I've released two independent
albums. In 2001 I graduated from UNM with a Biochemistry degree. After working as a
laboratory scientist for several years I was invited
to be the after school & summer camp director at a Harlem nonprofit.
By the end of 2012, I had launched TFE and became the science teacher for 300 students
at a charter school in East Harlem. In 2014 I made the commitment to be TFE's full-time
Executive Director. It is my honor to say that TFE has grown from serving 6 students at a
two-day-a-week summer program to inspiring hundreds of students city-wide.
It is my personal vision that each child that participates in our programming will have a strong
scientific knowledge base, a sense of their own creativity, self-respect and the understanding that
they are meant to do great things!
Why STE(A)M?
By the year, 2021, 80% of all jobs will require STEM skills but in most Harlem elementary schools students have science only once a week! Those same students may not be introduced to basic engineering concepts until High School. This is too late! At SSC we believe in an early introduction to both STEAM concepts and skills. Several studies have shown that the earlier a child is exposed to a subject the easier it is for them to learn it. This has proven true for music, art, sports and foreign languages. This is why SSC students are as young as 18mo!
Every workshop touches on all 5 STEAM disciplines; Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math in a way that is both accessible and enjoyable for the youth of all ages. When Ms. Steph goes into a classroom, daycare or after-school program students become open to the possibilities. They not only learn from her but begin to engage their other learning environments in a whole new way. TFE is much needed in Harlem.