The Lancaster County STEM Alliance officially introduced the 2025 LCSA STEM Ambassadors, a dynamic group of leaders who will drive innovation, equity, and engagement in STEM across Lancaster County over the next year.
These Ambassadors will champion our four key priority areas:
- Career Exploration
- In-School Project-Based Learning (PBL)
- Out-of-School STEM
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) in STEM
Throughout the year, they’ll lead community engagement efforts, create original content, represent LCSA at events, and design impactful capstone projects to address real-world challenges in our community.
Each Ambassador brings their unique passion and perspective to the mission of making STEM accessible, equitable, and inspiring for all.
Meet the Ambassadors and the members of the LCSA team pictured (from left to right):
Adrienne Epler (LCSA), Lauren Miller (LCSA), Jackie Druck, Kai Barclay, Carlos Cruz, Jill Hackman, Karen Knecht, & Andrew Garner (LCSA)
Meet STEM Ambassador: Kai Barclay
STEM education has the power to shape futures. But access to that power is not always equal. For far too many students, particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, STEM can feel like a closed door, a field that does not reflect who they are or what they care about. That is why we are proud to celebrate Kai Barclay (they/them), a math and computer science teacher at McCaskey High School, who has been named a 2025 STEM Ambassador by the Lancaster County STEM Alliance (LCSA).
Now in their third year of teaching and their first year here in Lancaster, Kai has already made an impression with their dedication to both equity and excellence in the classroom. Their selection as a STEM Ambassador is a recognition not just of their skill as an educator, but of their commitment to making STEM education more inclusive, more engaging, and more connected to the lived experiences of their students.
As part of this yearlong ambassadorship, Kai will focus on DEBI, a priority that has shaped their educational philosophy from the beginning. From their very first computer science class as a student, Kai recalls feeling like they stood out in a room that lacked representation. That moment left a lasting impact and sparked a personal mission to change the culture of STEM so that all students, no matter their background or identity, can see themselves belonging in it.
“STEM has something to offer everyone, and I want to make the field more accessible and welcoming. I think increasing digital literacy is an important first step in that, as well as analyzing and removing historic and systemic barriers in STEM education and careers. I am only one teacher, but over the course of my ambassadorship, I hope to build community-wide awareness and access to STEM.”
In the classroom, Kai brings this mission to life. Their teaching blends technical instruction with collaborative learning, using a mix of inquiry, project based work, and real world application to ensure all students are engaged. For Kai, coding is about creative problem solving and building the tools to navigate and shape the digital world. They understand that digital literacy isn’t just a skill for the future, it’s essential for students to fully participate in today’s world. Whether they are helping students build websites, troubleshoot algorithms, or discuss the ethics of artificial intelligence, Kai centers student voice and encourages questions that go beyond the textbook.
But their commitment to equity extends beyond lesson planning. Kai is actively working to bridge opportunity gaps in STEM by fostering digital literacy, identifying and challenging barriers that exist in curriculum design, and advocating for structural changes that widen the pipeline for students historically excluded from these fields. Their goal as an ambassador is to raise awareness, create practical tools, and collaborate with peers and community partners to make Lancaster County a leader in equitable STEM education.
Outside of school, Kai stays connected to their own sources of curiosity and joy. They are an avid reader with a love for fantasy and science fiction, a fan of all kinds of games, board, tabletop, and digital, and a nature enthusiast who enjoys exploring both Lancaster and destinations farther afield. These interests frequently weave their way into classroom discussions and project themes, helping students see the many ways STEM intersects with creativity, culture, and everyday life.
As an LCSA Ambassador, Kai aims to help dismantle the historic and systemic barriers that have kept too many students out of STEM spaces. They’ll use their platform to not only highlight issues of access and equity, but also to offer practical, sustainable ways schools and communities can make change. Their work will spark conversations, shift mindsets, and build the groundwork for long-term transformation.
We’re honored to have Kai on our McCaskey faculty, and even more excited to see how their leadership and advocacy will ripple across the county through this ambassadorship. Kai reminds us that changing the future of STEM starts with changing who gets to participate and how.