Between homework, clubs, and college applications, senior Kendrick Lee spends his free time tweaking circuit designs for his business, Code to Create. Lee has been interested in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (the STEM curriculum) since he was younger, which ultimately led to his student-run business focused on STEM education.

Founded in 2024, Code to Create was designed to teach STEM concepts to middle school students through accessible at-home kits, Lee said. Each “all-in-one” kit includes materials, lesson content, and software platforms, Lee added. 

“The goal is to create a product that students across the United States can have in their homes, so that parents don’t have to worry about teaching their children STEM education,” Lee said. 

Lee was first inspired by programs like CrunchLabs, a STEM subscription kit by Mark Rober, former NASA engineer and YouTuber, though its complexity and cost limited accessibility, Mike Sinde, Career and Technical Education Teacher and Engineering Club Sponsor, said. Sinde has worked with Lee for four years in Engineering Club, where Lee currently serves as Co-President.

“Lee has taken the lead on Code to Create in response to the need for students to learn STEM,” Sinde said.

Mike Macfadden, Career and Technical Education Teacher, also helped Lee by providing insight into how ideas are developed  and brought to the market. 

“Kendrick found an idea that he can actually take action in working on,” Macfadden said. “There is a real need for young people to have STEM education activities that are fun and educational.”  

When Lee has free time between his extracurriculars of Engineering Club, Mock Trial, TV & Film, and Stage Crew, he dedicates his time to Code to Create. 

“If you’re interested in a problem you want to solve, the most impactful thing you can do to solve that problem is to start something like this,” Lee said. “You can look at how, even as a high schooler, it’s possible to make that big impact.”