Philly ConnectED is rebranded name of youth STEM learning nonprofit FATE

FATE, the local edtech nonprofit that taught Zora Ball, Philly’s seven-year-old game developer, has rebranded its programs as Philly ConnectED, it announced earlier this month.

Philly ConnectED’s youth programs include Bootstrap Philadelphia, the program that teaches middle school students algebra through video game development and STARS, a software training program for student leaders.

FATE rebranded in order to stress the “connector” aspect of the organization, founder Kelly Ohlert said. FATE is “finding and evaluating great programs, then helping to bring and administer them in Philly schools,” she said in an email.

Earlier this month, FATE had its Bootstrap Expo, where five pairs of students presented the projects they had built during the program. Mayor Michael Nutter also proclaimed May 3, the day of the expo, as “Science, Technology and Engineering  and Mathematics Day,” as announced by City Managing Director Rich Negrin at the event.