In December of 2019, Max Ngnepieba attended the Florida State Science Fair competition, where among 1,000 participants of all age groups, the number of African American participants could be counted on two hands. This stark disparity was remarkable to Max, and before entering his senior year of high school, he founded STEMOut with a clear mission to increase the participation of youth in STEM areas to ultimately elevate the stature of students in the Tallahassee community.

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From December 2020 to January 2021, Max, alongside Kenny Greene, launched STEMOut's first afterschool program at Nims Middle School. What began as a grassroots initiative, under the leadership of Astred Ngnepieba in 2022, has evolved to develop robust organizational infrastrucutre, forging strategic partnerships, and scaling its impact across the community.​