Spirit of Youth

The Lynx Initiative (TLI) is a youth-led robotics organization founded by Anchorage teens to make STEM education accessible to all students, regardless of resources or background. In just one year, they expanded from a single high school team to mentoring nine LEGO League teams and multiple FIRST Tech Challenge teams across Title I schools, homeschools, and community sites, creating Alaska’s only full public-school robotics pathway. By prioritizing inclusion, collaboration, and youth empowerment, TLI is transforming Anchorage’s STEM landscape from one defined by privilege to one driven by opportunity and shared success.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Innovator