We’re breaking barriers in STEM education, ensuring girls and youth in rural communities have the tools to succeed in an AI-driven world.
STEM education, scholarships and vocational training for children and youth in rural Western Kenya, since 2010.
We believe every child deserves access to STEM education and AI tools to unlock their potential and shape the future.
The Riley Orton Foundation empowers marginalized children and youth in rural Western Kenya by providing them equal access to education, life skills, and technology. Our integrated approach combines education, health and wellness, economic empowerment, and life skills development to address the complex challenges facing girls and underserved youth.
About usVision
We envision a world where children and their communities have agency to achieve their full potential.
Agency: the ability to define one’s own goals and act upon them.
Mission
To break barriers to education and opportunity for marginalized children and youth in rural Western Kenya, empowering them to build confident, self-reliant futures and create sustainable communities.
Impact
We empower rural students, especially girls and young women, by breaking barriers to education through scholarships, school supplies and menstrual hygiene support, while fostering STEM and AI interest through hands-on learning, training teachers in STEM and AI integration, and equipping youth with skills for economic resilience.
Three programs, and the enterprises that sustain them
A year of growth across our programs
Latest news from the Riley Orton Foundation
Innovating for a water secure future: STEM Camp showcase at Akili STEMarts Academy
What an incredible end to our August 2025 holiday STEM Camp! Over two weeks, 180 students from Grade 1–12 at our Akili STEMarts Academy learned, created, and built innovations for a water secure future during the August school break.
Students showcased their projects before parents, judges from Futures Infinite, and teachers. From Arduino-powered water kiosks and smart irrigation systems, to robotics for flood safety and Scratch games on water security, their creativity and problem-solving skills were nothing short of remarkable!
326 teachers trained in STEM education in 2025
ROF held eight teacher training sessions in 2025 with partners including Africa Maths Initiative and Futures Infinite, reaching 326 teachers across Kisumu, Siaya and Bungoma counties. Teachers learned AI tools for education, Scratch coding and robotics, Arduino and Pico microcontrollers, and 3D printing, and several schools have since set up STEM clubs.
Read the stories
13 scholars earn a B grade or better in KCSE
In 2025, our scholarship program supported 80 students in high school and college with school fees, uniforms, sanitary pads, mentorship and college upkeep. Thirteen completed secondary school with outstanding KCSE results and are now preparing for university, and 15 young women received college scholarships.
Read the storiesComing in 2026
A Mobile STEM Lab van will take equipment and STEM education directly to marginalized schools that lack dedicated facilities, while our Akili STEM Labs continue to expand access to digital learning.
We will strengthen STEM clubs in partner schools, keep training teachers, grow our vocational and digital literacy programs, and expand the Akili Suites housing project with solar-powered units to sustain our work.
Help us get thereLearning by doing
Working together for change
Vetted and verified
We are committed to transparency, accountability, and ethical practices in all we do.
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Learn how you can make a difference in the lives of marginalized rural girls.