The 6th Annual Kits Cubed STEM Fair at Oakland Technical High School runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring interactive science activities, guest scientists, free science kits, games, surprises, and raffles for thousands of expected families. The nonprofit organization was founded in 2020 by Ahmed Muhammad, an Oakland Technical High School alumnus who launched the initiative to ignite children’s passion for learning and distribute science kits to schools. What began as a backyard quarantine experiment in 2020 when Muhammad created simple experiments like Alka-Seltzer pop rockets and leaf condensation jars for his eight-year-old niece Ayla and six-year-old nephew Ahmeer has grown significantly, with Kits Cubed giving away more than 50,000 science kits to children in Oakland and beyond. Muhammad graduated as valedictorian of Oakland Technical High School in May 2021 with a 4.73 GPA, becoming the first Black male valedictorian in the school’s 106-year history, before earning his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford in June 2025 and pursuing a master’s degree while continuing to lead the nonprofit.
Expanding Programs and Institutional Partnerships:
Kits Cubed has expanded its offerings beyond individual kits to include comprehensive programming such as the Inventors Lab summer camp, which taught computer-aided design, electronics, and programming while providing free meals. In June 2025, the organization launched STEM Adventures, taking over 700 elementary students from Oakland public schools including Reach Academy, Oakland Academy of Knowledge, and Brookfield Elementary on free trips to the California Academy of Sciences. Additionally, the nonprofit ran The Energy Lab from March to May 2025, providing a 10-week after-school program at the Oakland Academy of Knowledge to teach fourth- and fifth-graders about renewable energy through wind turbine and water density experiments. These community-driven efforts receive institutional backing from the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation, alongside partner organizations such as the Chabot Space and Science Center, California Life Sciences, the Lawrence Hall of Science, and the local nonprofit Heads Up, providing accessible hands-on science experiences to Oakland children.
