NONPROFIT — JOHNSON STEM ACTIVITY CENTER

Former NASA engineer and rocket scientist Dr. Lonnie Johnson created the Johnson STEM Activity Center to inspire the next generation of innovators by making Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education accessible to K-12 students across metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia. The Center turns curiosity into opportunity!

As a National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee, with over 160 patents, and the mastermind behind the world-famous Super Soaker – Dr Johnson was recently named one of America’s greatest living innovators by Forbes. Today, the Center channels his legendary passion for invention and innovation into hands-on programs that make STEM attainable for the next generation of change-makers.

From six middle school students in a 2005 after school robotics club to a powerhouse of experiential learning serving thousands of students throughout Georgia, the Center has evolved into a multi-faceted tech hub spanning robotics, engineering, computer science, video game design, e-sports and virtual reality over the past 21 years. The Center unveiled its newest innovation with the 2025 launch of a Science on a Sphere, a state-of-the-art installation that lets students track climate change and weather patterns, and learn environmental science, astronomy and countless other scientific areas using “real time” data from satellites orbiting the earth.

With 54 Title I Atlanta Public Schools located within a 10-mile radius of the Center, the Johnson STEM Activity Center remains committed to expanding STEM education and closing systemic educational gaps. Guided by Dr. Johnson’s core values of perseverance, creativity and resilience through challenges, the Center empowers young people to discover their hidden potential. By developing critical problem-solving skills, students are inspired to envision themselves as confident innovators poised to tackle global issues.