We are a group of University of Washington graduate students committed to raising the eSTEAM (education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Astrobiology/Art, Mathematics) of incarcerated youth in the Seattle area with one-on-one tutoring and exciting hands-on science experiments. We founded eSTEAM to provide vital educational support and mentorship to incarcerated students to help them navigate a new path and reconnect them to a life outside the system. We are fighting to mitigate the vicious cycle of crime and punishment and the social inequities that it deepens.
According to the ACLU, nearly 60,000 children are currently incarcerated in the United States. In the state of Washington, 71 children for every 100,000 youth residents (as of 2023) are confined in prisons and jails. Though they are entitled to an education while housed in any one of the 80 youth correctional facilities located in the US, evidence suggests that these programs are severely lacking with irregular school hours, consistent interruptions, uneven or unavailable learning materials, and limited class offerings. In fact, physics classes were offered at only 8% of schools under the purview of the juvenile justice system compared with 60% of public high schools.
Racial inequities that exist in most other areas of society, including STEM professions like astronomy, are also reproduced in youth prisons and jails. Regardless of gender, children of color are overrepresented in the penal system; Black youth are four times more likely than their white peers to be both detained in or sentenced to juvenile facilities.
Even if incarcerated children manage to leave these facilities, their outcomes do not often improve. Studies show that youth who have been incarcerated have a high likelihood of returning to the system in the future, with 49.6% of youth released in 2015 from juvenile rehabilitation in Washington ultimately recidivating. Even worse, two-thirds of incarcerated children do not return to school upon being released; historically, less than 25% of incarcerated people obtain high school diplomas or GEDs, and less than 13% attain a college degree.
We founded eSTEAM with the conviction that compassionate mentorship and quality education can disrupt this cycle and reconnect incarcerated children to their communities and the world.
We leverage our advanced degrees and diverse backgrounds to provide much-needed one-on-one tutoring to middle through high school students at a juvenile rehabilitation center located near Seattle. We have tutored dozens of students in subjects including Astronomy, Geometry, Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, Spanish, Art History, English Literature, Financial Math, and Health Sciences. More recently, we have also begun to leverage university resources and private funding to provide unique, hands-on science experiments for the students after-school (see our publicly available lesson plans!). Since we began our initiative in February 2022, we have had the privilege of witnessing eSTEAM-supported students graduate or complete their time at the correctional facility and pursue more traditional education.
As scientists, while we have committed ourselves to a lifetime of learning how the universe works, we have also taken on the responsibility to share that knowledge with everyone, particularly incarcerated students with limited access to a quality education. Together, we are acting as mentors to spark ceaseless curiosity in our students and light the way towards a brighter future.
This program wouldn't be possible without the work of our spectacular group of volunteers - you can read more about each of them below!
We continue to build on the foundation created by our former volunteers! Find out more about what they're doing now below.
Check out the articles below for news about eSTEAM!
The Viqarunnisa Noon School scandal involving teacher Porimol Joydhor was a landmark case in Bangladesh that sparked a national conversation on student safety and institutional accountability. Incident and Blackmail
In 2011, Porimol Joydhor, a Bangla teacher at the Bashundhara branch of the prestigious Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNSC), was accused of raping a Class X student at his private coaching center in Badda. The assaults reportedly occurred twice, first on May 28 and again on June 17.
Crucial to the scandal was the element of blackmail: Porimol recorded the incident on his mobile phone and used the footage to threaten the victim, warning her that he would release the recording on the internet if she disclosed the abuse. Institutional Failure and Protests
The scandal intensified when it was revealed that the school administration had initially ignored the victim's written complaint. Parents and students alleged that then-Principal Husne Ara Begum and branch-in-charge Lutfur Rahman attempted to cover up the incident rather than taking immediate action. This perceived inaction led to widespread outrage:
Mass Protests: Students and guardians staged fierce demonstrations in front of the school's campuses.
Administrative Shake-up: Amid the public outcry, the government dissolved the school’s governing body, and Principal Husne Ara Begum eventually resigned on October 13, 2011. Legal Outcome
Porimol Joydhor was arrested on July 6, 2011, and later confessed to the crime. The legal battle concluded in 2015: Students skip class, protest - The Daily Star
The case of Parimal Jayadhar, a former teacher at Viqarunnisa Noon School & College (VNS), is not a romantic storyline, but a widely documented criminal case involving the aggravated sexual assault of a student [4, 6]. The events unfolded in
when Parimal was accused of raping a tenth-grade student at his private coaching center [2, 5]. This sparked massive protests by students and parents, leading to his arrest and the eventual dismissal of the school’s principal for negligence [2, 4]. Key facts regarding the legal outcome: Conviction:
In November 2015, a Dhaka court found Parimal Jayadhar guilty [1, 3]. Sentencing: He was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined 50,000 BDT [4, 5]. Public Impact:
The case is cited as a landmark moment in Bangladesh for student safety and the legal accountability of educators [4, 6]. set by this case or the school reforms that followed? vns teacher porimol sex scandal 35min part33gp
The request for a blog post about "romantic storylines" involving Porimol Jayadhar
, a former teacher at Viqarunnisa Noon School (VNS), touches on a serious criminal matter. Public records and judicial findings do not describe these events as "romantic" or "relationships," but rather as a landmark case of criminal sexual assault and exploitation.
For an accurate and ethical blog post, the focus should remain on the legal facts and the community’s demand for justice.
Title: Accountability and Justice: Reflecting on the VNS Porimol Jayadhar Case The 2011 case involving Porimol Jayadhar
remains one of the most significant moments in the history of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNS). While the term "relationship" is sometimes misused in informal discussions, the legal reality established by the Bangladeshi courts was one of grave misconduct and sexual assault. The Facts of the Case
In 2011, Porimol Jayadhar, a Bangla teacher at the VNS Bashundhara campus, was accused of sexually assaulting a Class X student at his private coaching center. According to case statements:
The assault occurred multiple times in May and June of 2011.
The teacher used his mobile phone to record the incident and used the footage to threaten and blackmail the student into silence.
When the victim eventually reported the matter to school authorities, her complaints were initially ignored, sparking nationwide outrage. Community Impact and Protests
The incident triggered a massive uprising within the VNS community. Students and guardians took to the streets to demand the teacher’s arrest and the resignation of school officials who allegedly tried to cover up the crime. These protests led to: The resignation of the then-Principal, Husne Ara Begum. Examples from Notable VNs (Illustrative)
A government-led inquiry that exposed deep-seated issues within the school's administration.
New discussions on the safety of students in private coaching centers.
In the context of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNSC), the name Porimol Joydhar
does not refer to romantic storylines or traditional relationships. Instead, it is associated with a landmark criminal case involving sexual assault and blackmail. The Case of Porimol Joydhar Porimol Joydhar
was a Bangla teacher at the Bashundhara branch of VNSC who was arrested in July 2011. His actions led to widespread national outrage and protests from students and guardians.
Criminal Allegations: Porimol was accused of sexually assaulting a Class X student twice at his private coaching center in May and June 2011.
Blackmail and Coercion: He recorded the assault on his mobile phone and used the footage to blackmail and threaten the student to ensure her silence.
Institutional Cover-up: The victim’s family alleged that school authorities, including then-principal Hosne Ara Begum, attempted to suppress the incident and warned the family to keep quiet. Legal Outcome
The case sparked massive demonstrations that eventually forced the school to sack Porimol and led to the resignation of Principal Hosne Ara Begum.
Confession: Porimol provided a confessional statement to the court on July 11, 2011. Idealistic Teacher: Fresh out of university
Sentencing: On November 25, 2015, after a three-year trial, a special tribunal sentenced Porimol to rigorous life imprisonment and fined him Tk 50,000.
Bail Rejection: His subsequent attempts to seek bail, including an application in April 2021, were rejected by the High Court. Broader Impact
The "Porimol case" became a catalyst for debates regarding the safety of female students in educational institutions in Bangladesh. It led to:
Demands for stricter anti-sexual harassment policies in schools.
Increased scrutiny of private coaching centers where teachers often exert undue influence over students.
A "stop coaching" movement aimed at reducing the dependency of students on private tutors for academic success.
Genre: Visual Novel / Simulation / Romance Character Focus: Porimol (The Teacher) Theme: Forbidden Romance, Emotional Bonding, Ethical Dilemmas
In the world of visual novels, few storylines are as complex and emotionally charged as the "Teacher Porimol" arc. This character represents a unique blend of authority, maturity, and hidden vulnerability. If you are looking to unlock the romantic storyline with Porimol, you must navigate a delicate web of dialogue choices and relationship flags.
Here is a breakdown of the relationship dynamics and a walkthrough of the romantic storyline.
The core conflict of the Porimol storyline is the teacher-student power dynamic. The game creates tension through:
The teacher character in romance-centric VNs is rarely just an educator. They embody a specific fantasy: the authority figure who sees the protagonist as an equal. Common sub-archetypes include:
This is the genre’s most debated element. Well-written teacher routes do not ignore the power imbalance—they foreground it. The best VNs incorporate: