STEM With Purpose
Orblynx Academy builds hands-on STEM experiences for students in grades 6–12 across Virginia. Students do not simply study engineering, biology, design, or research. They use those disciplines to investigate problems, build solutions, present their thinking, and take on work that gets progressively harder. We work directly with students and families, and with school districts bringing this into their own classrooms.
Why Orblynx Exists
Our Mission
Orblynx Academy connects students to STEM through real projects, real tools, and real-world challenges, turning curiosity into capability and connecting classroom learning to future opportunities.
Our Vision
A generation of young people who don't just learn about STEM, but use it to build, lead, and open doors that were once out of reach.
The Orblynx Learning Framework
Every program, whether a summer academy cohort, an after-school series, or a district STEM Innovation Lab, moves students through the same five stages.
Explore
Students investigate real-world problems and the ideas behind them.
Design
Students plan solutions using real engineering and design methods.
Build
Students prototype, test, and iterate with real tools and materials.
Communicate
Students present, publish, and defend their work to real audiences.
Impact
Students connect their solutions to communities and future opportunities.
"As a middle school gifted education teacher, I struggled to find hands-on STEM curriculum that offered students genuine voice and choice. Orblynx Academy solved this by providing intellectually challenging, open-ended projects that kept my students truly engaged."
The People Behind Orblynx
Orblynx is led by educators, technical professionals, and community leaders working to expand what STEM education can be for young people in Loudoun County and beyond.
Ferri Riar
Founder & CEO
Research scientist, community leader, and passionate youth advocate, Ferri Riar founded Orblynx Academy with a vision to expand access to authentic, cutting-edge STEM education; learning that is hands-on, relevant, and connected to the real world. With more than 25 years of leadership across science, public service, and education, she is committed to creating opportunities that empower young people to think boldly, innovate with purpose, and make meaningful contributions to the world around them.
Jenni Petersen
Program & Operations Lead
Operations strategist, systems thinker, and problem-solver, Jenni Petersen brings nearly 11 years of experience helping teams turn moving pieces into organized, efficient operations. As Program & Operations Lead at Orblynx Academy, she supports the systems, coordination, and behind-the-scenes work that keep programs moving forward. Originally from South Africa, Jenni brings a global perspective and a thoughtful, people-centered approach to everything she does.
Sara Rodriguez
Lead Educator
Mathematician, educator, and STEAM enthusiast, Sara Rodriguez brings creativity and curiosity to every learning experience at Orblynx Academy. A Virginia Tech graduate with a degree in Mathematics, Sara is passionate about the world of STEAM and inspiring students to explore, create, and discover new ways to bring ideas to life.
Our Students Help Shape What Comes Next
The Orblynx Academy Student Alumni Advisory Council gives former students an active voice in the future of Orblynx Academy. Drawing from their own experiences, alumni provide insight into programs, student opportunities, and the overall learning experience while helping us stay connected to what matters most to the young people we serve. Many continue to give back through mentorship, leadership, and engagement with the next generation of Orblynx students.
Chinenye Ilodianya
Katarina Walordy
Elham Fakhro
Mahsa Riar
Olivia Nugent
What Students Can Do Afterward
3,000+ students. 98% five-star ratings. Those numbers say Orblynx is well run. What they do not show is the student who started in 7th grade, came every year through high school, and now returns from college as an intern.
Impact at Orblynx means capability that outlasts the program, skills students carry into college applications, internships, and the work they choose next.
They Started in Middle School. They Come Back From College.
Multi-year stories, each following one student from their first Orblynx program to what they are doing now. Several began in 6th or 7th grade, continued every year through high school, and returned from college as interns and mentors.
Katarina
Where she started: 7th grade, curious about STEM.
What she built: Led BioBench, a mycelium-based furniture project, and took on the Girl EmPower Summit.
What she pursued: Research, sustainability advocacy, biodesign, and a grant-funded art-based community program of her own.
Where she is now: Sophomore at Johns Hopkins University studying public health, working in a Public Health and Biology lab, and back at Orblynx as an intern.
"The environment fostered by the instructors is inspiring and encouraging and will undoubtedly make a positive, long-lasting impression."
Chinenye
Where she started: 8th grade, in STEM4Girls, and stayed engaged through high school, even as programming adapted during the pandemic.
What she built: Worked with a team to design and create a biodegradable bench made from mycelium; the project received multiple awards for its innovative and sustainable approach.
What she pursued: Taking ideas from brainstorming to implementation, creative problem-solving, and collaboration.
Where she is now: Junior at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing public health, using research and innovation to improve health.
"I will always be grateful to STEM4Girls for giving me the space, support, and encouragement to see myself as someone capable of using STEM to make a difference."
Olivia
Where she started: Seven years ago, exploring STEM in a way that went beyond the classroom.
What she built: Hands-on projects alongside students and mentors just as passionate about STEM as she is.
What she pursued: Leadership, problem solving, and communication, and new career pathways combining science, leadership, and community impact.
Where she is now: Freshman at James Madison University majoring Engineering and Pre-Law.
"One of the biggest things Orblynx has given me is the confidence to see myself as someone who can make an impact in STEM and beyond."
Elham
Where she started: 7th grade, at 13: passionate about science, but lacking the confidence to see herself pursuing STEM.
What she pursued: Technology, engineering, and sustainability, then nonprofit advisory boards, speaking through TED-Ed Student Talks, and scholarship and internship opportunities.
Where she is now: Sophomore at The George Washington University, coming up on seven years with the program, pursuing STEM at the collegiate level.
"Orblynx gave me the confidence to realize that I have what it takes to succeed."
Mahsa
Where she started: at 13, with a curiosity for engineering, design, and using technology to solve problems, building not only technical skills but the confidence to take her ideas beyond the classroom.
What she built: 3D-printed assistive devices, published research, a published TED-Ed Student Talk, years of work on BioBench, and the Girl emPower Summit, creating opportunities for other young women to find their voices and lead.
What she pursued: entrepreneurship, research, public speaking, internships, community leadership, and mentoring younger students.
Where she is now: an undergraduate at Northeastern University pursuing Behavioral Neuroscience. In 2026 she came back to Loudoun as an alumna to help coach student speakers and emcee the community’s first TEDxYouth event, continuing the cycle from student to leader to mentor.
“My experiences at Orblynx Academy have been instrumental in building my confidence since early middle school and instilling invaluable skills that have stayed relevant at every stage of my life.”
See What Students Actually Made
A gallery of real student work across engineering, biomaterials, assistive technology, sustainable systems, research, and entrepreneurship. Each piece captioned with what it is, what problem it solves, and who built it.
Where Student Innovation Meets Community Needs
Orblynx students work alongside nonprofits and community organizations on problems those organizations are already trying to solve. The work leaves the classroom: a piece of furniture a community keeps using, a platform that outlasts the student who founded it, a partnership that continues after the program ends.
This is what Launch can look like in practice: students taking what they have learned beyond the program and creating work that matters to other people.
BioBench: From Student Project to Sustainable Innovation
What began as an Orblynx student project to explore sustainable alternatives to traditional materials has grown into BioBench, a multi-year student-led innovation combining biomaterials, engineering, art, and environmental sustainability. Through partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and community spaces, students have taken BioBench beyond the classroom, designing and building functional benches from mycelium and other sustainable materials.
Since its beginning, BioBench has received multiple local and national recognitions. In 2026, the project reached another meaningful chapter with recognition from Governor Abigail Spanberger and the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the dedication of BioBench Virginia, created in honor of Virginia’s history and America’s 250th anniversary.
Recognized nationally and locally for sustainability innovation
From Student to Community Leader
One student’s idea grew into a platform for girls across Loudoun County. In 2020, while still in middle school, an Orblynx student, Mahsa, helped found the Girl emPower Summit in collaboration with the Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls (LCWAG). Today, Girl emPower is one of LCWAG’s signature initiatives, serving girls ages 12–18 through leadership, confidence-building, wellness, STEM, entrepreneurship, and future-focused experiences.
Since its founding, the initiative has reached more than 160 girls across Loudoun County. The youth-led Girl emPower Summit Committee was recognized by Loudoun Cares with the Outstanding Youth Volunteer Team Award, and its founder with the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Award.
2020 Founded · 160+ girls reached · Countywide youth leadership
Recognized for the Work
Recognition Orblynx has received as an organization, each listed with the awarding body and year.
Recognition from U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner
A letter from Senator Warner saluting Orblynx Academy’s 2025 Consumer Service Business of the Year Award and its support for the next generation of leaders.
Consumer Service Business of the Year
Loudoun Small Business Awards, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce.
Environmental Excellence Award
Business category. Awarded by Loudoun County Environmental Commission, Loudoun County Government.
Make a Difference Award
Loudoun County Public Schools presented Orblynx Academy and its founder, Ferri Riar, its Make a Difference Award recognizing individuals/organizations whose passion, innovation and service create meaningful, life-changing impact for students and schools in LCPS.
Amazon Community Award
Presented to Orblynx Academy in recognition of Orblynx Academy’s commitment to the community.
WUSA9 Eco Challenge Award
Environmental Sustainability & Innovation in Action.
Through our collaboration with Belmont Ridge Middle School, students explored biomaterials, designed sustainable products, and created bio-friendly furniture using mycelium and other sustainable materials. Their innovation earned the 2024 WUSA9 Eco Challenge Award, providing the school with $5,000 to advance student-led eco-innovation and environmental learning.
Honors Students Have Earned
Honors students have earned for work developed in our programs, each listed with the awarding body and year.
BioBench
Multiple local and national recognitions for student innovation and sustainability. In 2026 the project was recognized by Governor Abigail Spanberger and the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the dedication of BioBench Virginia, created in honor of Virginia’s history and America’s 250th anniversary.
eCYBERMISSION · Taking STEM Beyond the Classroom
Through our collaboration with Belmont Ridge Middle School, Orblynx extended student learning beyond the classroom by providing mentorship and support for students participating in the national eCYBERMISSION STEM competition. Students identified real problems in their community, conducted research, developed solutions, and brought their ideas through the competition process. Their work earned state-level recognition in both the 6th- and 8th-grade divisions, demonstrating what students can accomplish when hands-on STEM learning is paired with sustained mentorship, real-world application, and the opportunity to compete on a larger stage.
eCYBERMISSION: a STEM competition for students in grades 6 through 9. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program, it challenges teams of two to four students, guided by an adult advisor, to use science or engineering to solve real problems in their local communities.
Start Your Student This Season
See what's open now, compare the STEM Co-ed and STEM for Girls pathways, and register in a few minutes.
Bring Orblynx to Your Students
Schools and districts run STEM Innovation Labs with their own teachers. Industry and community partners supply the mentors, tools, and real challenges behind the work.