Chaudhary and Team STEPS Take Second Place in Do Good Challenge
Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) undergraduate Uzair Chaudharyand College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) undergraduate Sanketh Andhavarapu earned second place in the University of Maryland's 2021 Do Good Challenge’s Venture-Track category for their nonprofit, STEPS. STEPS also won the virtual event's text-to-vote category, earning the team an additional $1,000 Venture Innovation Award. The Do Good Challenge is an annual campus-wide competition that recognizes students who develop creative solutions for pressing social issues and demonstrate how they have made an impact through volunteering, fundraising, outreach and more. Chaudhary and Andhavarapu co-founded STEPS (Student Teachers Enriching Proficiency Through Service) to connect volunteers with K-12 families seeking personalized, one-on-one, long-term, and affordable tutoring and college advising services. STEPS donates nearly 100 percent of its profits in the form of grants and scholarships to support low-income youth and other nonprofits. The duo's model has attracted 40 volunteer tutors and a growing paying client base, and has generated $15,000 in revenue to date. STEPS’ first grant of $2,500 provided free tutoring to 100 students in Baltimore-area programs. The Do Good Challenge was founded by the UMD School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute in 2012. This year's Challenge Finals were sponsored by Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, The Rothschild Foundations, CTIA Wireless Foundation, the UMD Center for Engineering Concepts Development, and the Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation. Learn more about STEPS’ work, and watch the full 2021 Do Good Challenge pitch competition.
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