WICares Community Service Activity: Help CEF build hands-on Science Activity Kits
For over 35 years, CEF has been empowering young minds from diverse backgrounds. As an educational nonprofit driven by industry support, CEF is dedicated to engaging students early in their academic journey and igniting a passion for STEM learning. We create strong, sustainable community relationships that support Building the Future STEM Workforce.
Join us for an impactful community service session where attendees will help create class sets of our top three hands-on STEM activities. These kits will be awarded to the state winners of the You Be The Chemist Challenge®, CEF’s flagship program. The Challenge is an exciting team-based competition designed for grades 5-8. It mirrors today's collaborative workplaces, encouraging students to explore chemistry and apply STEM-embedded curriculum to tackle local sustainability challenges and devise community-based solutions.
Activities to Assemble:
Exploding Bags: Mix two substances to observe an exciting chemical reaction.
Goofy Putty: Create a new substance that behaves in mysterious ways.
Lumpy Liquids: Observe the precipitation of a solid from a mixture of solutions.
Be part of this meaningful initiative and help us celebrate and support the state winners of The Challenge!
hosts from CEF
Brandy Gates
Brandy joined CEF in May 2021, moving from Director of Development to Chief Development Officer. She leads our philanthropic mission to reach students early in life and ignite a passion for STEM careers. Funds raised via sponsorships and grants, developing strategic relationships with corporate and individual donors, creating community partnerships, and encouraging employee volunteerism, further CEF’s quest to reach K-8 students through CEF’s programs and prepare them to tackle real-world issues while learning about careers up and down the career ladder to become our future STEM workforce.
Prior to joining CEF, Brandy was the Events Manager at the Galveston Bay Foundation from March 2017 to March 2020, where she planned and executed multiple annual large-scale fundraising events, such as the Guardian of the Bay Awards Luncheon/Gala and Bike Around the Bay. She was also a member of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Development Team from July 2013 to March 2017 as a Director of Development for Major Gifts during UTMB’s $450 million Working Wonders Campaign. Before joining the UTMB development staff, Brandy worked in the marketing/event planning and fundraising fields for twenty years.
Brandy received both her MBA with concentrations in Marketing and International Business and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from the University of Houston Clear Lake.
Nicole Domingues
In August 2023, Nicole joined CEF after many years of volunteering. As a Project Manager, she executes CEF’s programs and contributes to ongoing efforts to deliver exceptional resources that inspire the next generation of scientists.
Prior to joining CEF, Nicole spent 20 years as a middle school science teacher, curriculum developer, and instructional coach in Houston, TX. Focusing on integrating technology and innovative teaching methods, she used her expertise to foster student excellence and professional growth among her colleagues. Nicole also spent 4 years organizing and coordinating the Houston Walk for Apraxia, educating others about Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Some of Nicole’s notable accolades include receiving United States Congressional Recognition, being named the Hamilton Middle School Teacher of the Year, being inducted into the Cypress Fairbanks ISD Wall of Fame, and being the recipient of CEF’s prestigious Community Champion of the Year Award. She is proud that her students have been the Texas State Challenge winners three times. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Science in Academic Studies with a Science 4-8 specialization from Sam Houston State University.