Danielle Boyer is a 22-year-old robotics inventor, youth education advocate, and enrolled citizen of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Motivated by the barriers the Indigenous and underrepresented communities face in accessing a science and technology education, Boyer founded the STEAM Connection in 2019 when she was just eighteen. The youth- and minority-led nonprofit works to make STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) education accessible, engaging, and culturally representative for all children, with a special focus on Indigenous youth.

A key element of the STEAM Connection’s mission is Indigenous language revitalization, which promotes through inventive tools such as the “SkoBot.” This personalized, wearable, and interactive robot encourages young students to learn and speak Indigenous languages at risk of extinction. This is accomplished through hands-on experiences that link technology with cultural heritage. Students build the SkoBot themselves, deepening their connection to both their heritage and the technical skills required in robotics and engineering. Through projects like this, Boyer is creating a powerful intersection of cultural preservation and innovative education.

The STEAM Connection also launched Every Kid Gets a Robot (EKGAR), an initiative providing free, affordable robotics kits to K-12 students. Designed to increase accessibility in technical education, EKGAR has reached over 34,000 young people, 90% of whom reported an increased interest in STEM careers as a result. Boyer’s work has earned recognition as PEOPLE Magazine’s Girls Changing the World, a MIT Solve Indigenous Communities Fellow, a Teen Vogue Indigenous Youth Changemaker, and is a two-time invitee of the White House.

Danielle Boyer’s story is a shining example of how inclusivity and innovation can drive meaningful change, inspiring young people to embrace science, technology, and cultural heritage.

To learn more about Danielle Boyer, the STEAM Connection, or donate to their cause, click here.

Author: Justin Oakland