Volunteering in astronomy has been one of the most exciting and eye-opening experiences of my life. I never imagined that I would spend my evening helping people explore the night sky, but through my volunteer work, I discovered not only the beauty of the universe but also how much people were interested in astronomy, too.
As a person living in a society, communities will always mean a lot to us. Whether its the people who live around you, the people who have the same interests as you, or the people who share the same race as you, they will always be a big part of your life. There’s a reason why the Chinese Cultural Festival in D.C. exists and that’s to bring our talented chinese community together. In a large group, we can further strengthen our own relationships, and we can even make brand new ones! When us CYOC volunteers work, we take the word “community” seriously and we try to help everyone we can so that our community members may have the time of their lives.
SWE & CYOC Create an Unforgettable Summer Celebration Together!
By George Wang
On August 1, 2025, despite the morning drizzle and overcast skies, Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C., hosted a vibrant and joyful event — the 2025 Youth Summer Olympics. Organized by So What Else (SWE) and Capital Youth Outreach Club (CYOC) in collaboration with several local nonprofit partners, the event brought together over 380 summer camp participants from the Greater Washington area for a day filled with fun, sports, and meaningful connections.
For the past several months, I was participating in the English Club, helping the seniors practice English. While doing this, I was deeply inspired by how open and eager they were to learn. It showed me that growth and learning truly never stop, no matter how old you are.
I was recently invited by Dr. Peter Hu, Professor of Anesthesiology, Surgery and Epidemiology, Chief Technologist of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, and director of the Precision Research in Medicine and Engineering (PRIME) AI Lab, to visit the Maryland State Police (MSP) Trooper 1 Barrack, one of seven helicopter stations across Maryland that are ready to provide medevac services on the call. The medevac center has offered me a profound glimpse into the critical world of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), particularly the sophisticated operations of helicopter transport.
Caption: The AW139 helicopter used by the MSP medevac services
This summer from July 7th to July 11th, rising 9th grader Evan Chen along with Ruichen Feng created and taught a STEM summer camp called CYOC 2025 Summer Engineering Workshop with slideshows they made themselves and Arduino robot Evan designed. Special thanks to rising 8th grader George Wang coming by on Thursday to help. The workshop concluded on Friday with proud smiles, working prototypes, and a strong sense of accomplishment among campers, parents, advisors and instructors alike.
By Capital Youth Outreach Club (CYOC) Member: Ruichen Feng
This summer, as members of the Capital Youth Outreach Club (CYOC) and passionate STEM enthusiasts, my friends Evan Chen, George Wang, and I decided to give back to the community by organizing a free STEM enrichment program focused on 3D printing, electric circuits, and Arduino programming. With experience in these areas—mine in 3D design and printing, Evan’s in electronics and programming, and George’s in robotics—we felt confident that we could create a fun and educational experience for younger students. We named it the CYOC Summer Engineering Workshop, and it brought together 15 curious and creative middle schoolers for a week of hands-on learning and innovation.
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