the sesame project
ABOUT US
ABOUT US
We are a passionate group of over three hundred high school and college students dedicated to making education equal and accessible for everyone. Our diverse group of tutors spans North America and beyond, offering free 1:1 tutoring, group lessons, camps, and seminars through virtual platforms like Zoom. We have served over two thousand K-9 students across a broad range of academic and extracurricular subjects. Additionally, we partner with organizations and Title I schools to bring valuable resources to underserved students.
We believe that learning should be fun, enjoyable and engaging. Our mission is to provide exploration-based learning opportunities that inspire young students to discover their passions and pursue their interests.
BRANCHES
BRANCHES
The Sesame Project is an organization that is constantly growing. Founded in San Diego, California, we now have branches across North America. We can't wait to expand to new areas and reach new people.​
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San Diego, CA, USA
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Florida, USA
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Georgia, USA
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Hawaii, USA
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Irvine, CA, USA
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Long Island, NY, USA
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Minnesota, USA
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Nashville, TN, USA
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New Jersey, USA
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New York, NY, USA
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North Carolina, USA
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San Francisco, CA, USA
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Texas, USA
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Vancouver, BC, Canada​​​
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We are also very grateful to our tutor volunteers outside of North America from:
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China
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Dubai
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England
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India
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Turkey
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Vietnam
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Kuwait
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Russia
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Bangladesh
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South Africa
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Netherlands
for the generosity of their time and gifts of their talents!
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MEET THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
MEET THE lEADERSHIP TEAM
KAYLEY
President & Director for Girls in STEM
Kayley is a student at The Bishop's School in the Class of 2027. Kayley loves helping kids learn through exploration, and believes that fun is a crucial part in education. She also hopes to share her passion for STEM and encourage young girls to pursue STEM subjects. In her free time, Kayley likes to code, play sports, play violin, do robotics, and cook.
SHIRLEY
Co-President
Shirley is a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Class of 2027) and is the founder and co-president of the Sesame Project (TSP). Shirley created TSP after noticing the difficulties students faced while transitioning to virtual school. She views the organization as a way for her to give back to her community and finds a lot of happiness knowing that students may benefit from TSP's services. Shirley hopes to share this joy and compassion with the organization's tutors and students! In her free time, Shirley likes to write poetry, code, dance, play piano, and draw.
AVA
Vice President
Ava Khossravi is a student at Canyon Crest Academy class of 2026. She has taught many different classes at The Sesame Project VTO including English, Math, and Drawing. She aims to inspire students to continue their learning journey through her teaching at VTO.
ANOUSHKA
Vice President & Curriculum Director of English
Anoushka Majumder is a student of the graduating class of 2027 at Scripps Ranch High School. With a passion for communication, she is always looking to make meaningful connections. An amateur poet with a philosophical bent of mind, Anoushka hopes to help young learners hone their skills in reading, writing, and literary analysis. She is also an avid science enthusiast, with a deep fascination for the neurobehavioral space. Outside of academic commitments, she finds great fulfillment in arts and crafts, swimming, and spending time with her BFF (her younger sister).
ANNA
Director of Communications
Anna Yang, Class of 2026, currently attends the Bishop’s School. She is a member of the school’s Model United Nations team and student government, which allow her to meet new people and talk about current events. She has also helped out with various summer camps at a local museum, and enjoys teaching younger students. As the Director of Communications, she hopes to increase VTO’s social media presence, and to spread the word about our organization! Beyond school, she plays competitive soccer, fosters kittens, and enjoys reading and sewing.
EMILY
Director of Development
Emily is a student at Harvard University (Class of 2028). She is passionate about purpose-driven science, and, as a leader in encouraging students to pursue their education, she loves working with students from all over the world. Emily also enjoys performing interesting experiments, reading about our ever-changing world, and helping others witness the empowering intersection of STEM, the humanities, and real world solutions to problems! Emily seeks to inspire youth to pursue their passions and hopes to better the world through her work.
SOPHIA
Director of Marketing
Sophia Wu is a student at Torrey Pines High School (Class of 2027), where she is a member of the Varsity Volleyball team and Link Crew. She is passionate about calligraphy, volleyball, nature, and marine biology. Sophia enjoys working with young kids and helping them grow, whether she’s coaching volleyball at WAVE, leading freshman orientation, or tutoring students through the Sesame Project. As Director of Marketing, she is excited to promote this summer’s classes and inspire students to explore new topics and expand their knowledge.
LINKA
Curriculum Director of Life Sciences and Director of Florida Branch
Linka is a current sophomore at Florida State University (go noles!) pursuing a degree in biology and minor in environmental science with the hopes of becoming a Veterinarian one day. She's always loved working with children, and has ample experience working in education. She understands that school isn't always curated to promote a true love of learning, and her goal is to change that. She loves helping students reach that "a-ha" moment in their learning, and is committed to always creating an environment of love, laughter and curiosity. In her free time, you can find her reading, exercising, or spending time with her two cats, Nikki and Skye:)
MR. IGWE
Mentor to Tutors
Mr. Igwe is an educator, theologian, and researcher committed to intellectual inquiry and ethical discourse. Current residing in Toronto, Canada. Pursuing a PhD at St. Mary’s University, London, he holds M.Ed., M.Div., B.A. in Philosophy, and B.Phil. degrees, integrating education, theology, ethics, and philosophy in his scholarship.
MICHELLE
Curriculum Director of History
Michelle is a student in the Class of 2027 at The Bishop’s School. Before anything, she is an avid reader. She is an editor for her school publication and a varsity tennis player. Her favorite classes in school are English and History, and through the Sesame Project, she hopes to help develop fun and engaging classes for students of all ages!
PAULINA
Curriculum Director of Computer Science
Paulina Ai is a student in the class of 2024 at the Bishop’s School. She has an immense appreciation for the cycle of mentorship that occurs from student to teacher, and participates in this cycle by tutoring younger students. Throughout highschool, Paulina fell in love with the creativity of computer science and she hopes to encourage other students to explore their passions as the curriculum director of CS. Outside of school, she enjoys coding projects and volunteering at STEM events.
RAGHAV
Director of New York Branch
Raghav Ramkumar is a part of the class of 2024 at Herricks Senior High School in Long Island, New York. He loves STEM classes and doing hands-on labs and research. He also has participated in many math competitions such as the AMCs, MathCON, and has qualified for being a finalist every year. As Head of New York Branch, he hopes to help students learn about extracurricular subjects more, and find their true passions in life. He enjoys cooking late at night and playing badminton in his free time.
BRANDON
Director of Vancouver Branch
Brandon Sun is a student at St Johns School in the Class of 2025 and is part of the IB Program. Some of Brandon’s interests include soccer, basketball, and math. As the Director of the Vancouver Branch Brandon wants to create a network of students and tutors in the Vancouver area so that students are able to get the help they need for certain subjects from teachers who are comfortable and have the knowledge to teach those subjects to meet the students’ needs.
AFNAN
Director of Long Island Branch
Afnan is a part of the Class of 2025 at Herricks Senior High School. He is incredibly passionate about STEM classes, as well as conducting scientific research, and enjoys helping others develop skills related to these fields. In his free time, he is fond of solving logic puzzles, playing badminton, and reading. As Director of the Long Island Branch, he hopes to spread awareness about the The Sesame Project VTO and help reach as many people as possible.
RHYTHM
Director of Georgia Branch
Rhythm Bazari is a student at Woodward Academy, class of 2027. The reason he joined The Sesame Project is to bridge the opportunity gaps between students and people to prepare the next generations for the world to come and loves to teach kids about robotics. In his free time, he enjoys building robots and hearing music in his free time. He hopes to create an awesome network in Georgia!
DIVA
Director of North Carolina Branch
Diva Shah is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, class of 2029. She is passionate about STEM and community service and is excited to help expand this program to NC! With her previous experience with youth mentorship through hosting summer camps and tutoring classes, she is eager to contribute to the efforts of VTO! As director, she hopes to spread awareness and help students explore their passions in various subjects. Outside of academics, her hobbies include cooking, playing piano, reading, and painting!
SAKETH
Director of Hyderabad (India) Branch
Saketh Kollipara is a student at Indus International School, Hyderabad. He loves biology, scientific research and meeting like-minded people. Outside of academics, he can be found playing basketball with friends or trying new types of food. Saketh is extremely enthusiastic about bringing the Sesame Project to Hyderabad and looks forward to creating a lasting impact on students from all around the world.
ADHIRA
Director of Northern California Branch
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SUKRITI
Director of Community Service
Sukriti Patro is a student at Scripps Ranch High School, Class of 2027! She is passionate about exposing kids to STEM and volunteering for a better world. Sukriti has a strong background in STEM education, youth mentorship, and public speaking. She views this organization as an amazing way to help the community and spark imagination. Sukriti has also had experience with this organization as she attended workshops as a kid. Beyond school, Sukriti enjoys playing basketball, videography, and hanging out with friends.