The Quarter Project: Who are We?

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who we are

The Future of STEM Starts Here

A girl writes her first line of code and watches something move because of her. A student discovers that chemistry isn't a subject, it's a superpower. A quiet voice speaks up, because for the first time, she knows she'll be heard.

These small moments aren't just nice to witness. They're the whole point.

At The Quarter Project, we build the spaces where these moments happen every week. Our classes are completely free for underrepresented students, especially young women and girls who have the most to gain and the fewest existing pathways. Our college student mentors make STEM feel accessible, exciting, and genuinely welcoming, proving through their own presence that diverse faces belong in science.

We're not just running after-school programs. We're planting seeds of confidence that grow into careers, into leadership, and into innovation the world desperately needs.

Donate to Our Mission
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our mission

Closing the Gap, One Student at a Time

Our mission is to promote young women in STEM academics and careers by offering resources,  education and hands on experience primarily, although not exclusively, for minority & low-income girls.

Our Board of Directors

Who Guides Us

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Leslie Patterson

The Quarter Project Founder
Leslie Patterson is a partner at Integrated MEP, a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing consulting engineering design firm, and founder of The Quarter Project, established in 2015. She holds degrees in Human Development, Political Science, and Agriculture, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Education, Equity, and Transformation at Colorado State University. Through her work, Leslie is passionate about expanding access, building confidence, and creating equitable opportunities for all women and girls to reach their full potential.
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Lisa Pallotti

Board Chair
Lisa Pallotti is a retired Sr. System Engineer that worked with Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In that role, she provided technical leadership across cross-functional and geographically diverse teams for large, complicated programs. She received BSMA and BSEE degrees from Michigan Technical University. She is passionate about encouraging and supporting females in technical fields and has been involved in the HPE Women's Network. She joined TQP five years ago with the goal of educating girls about the opportunities available in STEM, thus enabling them to have productive and fulfilling careers.
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Claire Russell

President
Claire is a software engineer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. She is a proud alumna of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and a prouder Fort Collins native. Claire began her journey with The Quarter Project in 2016 as one of the first STEM Ray students. She credits her pursual of STEM in college and in her career in part to her involvement with TQP. Claire is excited to continue working with TQP as a member of the board. She dreams of a future when she can walk into a room of STEM professionals and not be the only, or one of very few women.
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Kirk Evans

Board Member
Kirk Evans is a Colorado native now living in Fort Collins. In 2001 Kirk graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Today, Kirk works for Colorado State University as the Director of Engineering at the Powerhouse Energy Campus. As part of the Quarter Project team, Kirk strives to ensure access to a STEAM education for everyone.
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Jenny Evans

Board Member
Jenny Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. Throughout her career, she has worked with underrepresented youth in foster care as both an advocate and a therapist, supporting their well-being and development. Jenny currently owns and operates a childcare business, where she continues her commitment to helping children and families thrive. She is deeply passionate about advancing equity and creating opportunities for all individuals to succeed.
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Louise Jennings

Board Member
Louise Jennings, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Education at Colorado State University. A former middle and high school teacher, she promotes DEIJ in education (diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice) in her teaching, research, and service. Dr. Jennings has also directed and supported youth empowerment programs at CSU and in partnership with local school districts. She has published articles and books on inquiry-based learning, critical youth empowerment, and DEIJ in education.
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April Lafferty

Board Member
April Lafferty holds a Master's degree in geology from the University of Cincinnati. Raised on a farm in central Pennsylvania, she has carried a commitment to community involvement throughout her life. She previously served on the board of her local Habitat for Humanity chapter in Alabama and has been an active member of the school accountability committees for both an elementary and a middle school in her local district. She also managed and supervised the middle school students who operated the school store and regularly volunteered in classrooms during her children's school years.
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Leighanne Jones

Board Member
Leighanne Jones is the Director of Operations and SEO Manager at Beyond Blue Media, a local digital marketing agency in Fort Collins. She started her relationship with The Quarter Project after highlighting them during her presentation for Local SEO for Good in 2025, where she emphasized that true connection and trust come from human insight, and not AI. While Leighanne doesn't hail from a background in STEM, she is very passionate about all the work TQP does for students in the community, and has helped TQP rebuild their social presence and helped them build this new website!
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kim aldrich

Board Member
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Marla Manchego

Board Member
Marla is a retired Math and Science Academic Advisor from Front Range Community College, where she worked for 31 years. As a community college advisor, she worked with low-income, underrepresented, and first-generation students. She is a proud Fort Collins native. She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. She also graduated from Regis University with a master's degree in organizational leadership. She is passionate about helping underrepresented students navigate the educational system and finding their best path to reaching their academic career goals.
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Susan Benzel

Board Member
Susan is the recently retired director of the Scott Scholars Program at Colorado State University where she mentored engineering students and was given the opportunity to develop and teach a seminar class. Prior to CSU, Susan worked 30+ years at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, working as an execution program manager and helping to develop their AI strategy during her final years. She also helped lead and instruct their Leadership Development Program. Susan is passionate about supporting the education and development of all women and underrepresented populations, working towards equity in opportunities, pay, and belonging.
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Runeela Taskeen

Grant Writer
Runeela holds a Ph.D. in Education, Equity, and Transformation with a specialization in peace pedagogy, and has taught multicultural education at the university level. Originally from Pakistan, she has worked in teaching and learning since 2000 across Pakistan, the USA, Uganda, and China. A Fulbright scholar, her research focuses on peace education and the evolution of diverse educational cultures, and she brings expertise in qualitative research and curriculum development for underserved communities. Her global work includes trauma-informed curricula and peace education initiatives, and locally she has facilitated restorative circles with the City of Fort Collins' Restorative Justice Program. She currently works at The Quarter Project, a Fort Collins NGO inspiring women from marginalized backgrounds to pursue STEM careers.

Our Staff Members

The Faces Behind Our Programs

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Emma Holloway

Program Director
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Sophie DeMatteo

GEMS Teacher
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Sophie Richter

GEMS Teacher
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Madeline Judson

GEMS Teacher
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Miranda Nagel

GEMS Teacher
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Emma Goodall

GEMS Teacher
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Abby Rauschenberg

GEMS Teacher
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Isabella Vigil

GEMS Teacher
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Kacy Larson

GEMS Teacher

FAQ'S

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, every after-school class, resource, and program we offer is completely free for students in northern Colorado. Programs that come at an additional cost may be our STEM programs during the summer.

Our after-school programs are primarily held in Title 1 schools in the Poudre School District, but we welcome any young student interested in STEM. We also hope to expand our programming beyond Larimer County in the future!

Our GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science) program is for students anywhere from kindergarten to 8th grade. Our STEM Rays (Rising Advocates for Youth in STEM) program is for high school to college-age students looking to volunteer with our GEMS students.

Our classes and programs are led by our STEM Rays and college-age student mentors from CSU who bring STEM to life through their own lived experience, proving that diverse faces belong in science. If you are interested in becoming a STEM Ray, please reach out to us today!

You can contact us directly to see what our current class calendar is, or you can visit our class calendar page.

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