Why Give?

STEM jobs are the jobs of the future...

and TJHSST is a leader in STEM education

For nearly 40 years, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST or just “TJ”) has drawn many of the finest and most motivated students from across Northern Virginia to engage with a highly rigorous, research-focused curriculum preparing them to serve as tomorrow’s leaders in science, technology, math, and engineering (“STEM”) as well as in other STEM-adjacent areas.

For as long as high schools have been ranked, TJ has maintained a consistent presence at the top of those rankings thanks to the strength of its students, its world-class faculty, and its university-level STEM spaces. It is the singular mission of the TJ Partnership Fund (TJPF) to support the educational programs of TJ and to connect its unparalleled alumni network with each other and with its students – and we’re very proud of all of the work that we do each year.

The pace of change in technology is seemingly accelerating every year, and TJ’s course offerings rise to meet that challenge. No other high school in America offers the remarkable diversity of TJ’s STEM curriculum, to include advanced courses in Quantum Physics, Organic Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence, Complex Analysis, and so much more.

Our Mission

The work of the TJPF impacts every TJ student.

TJ students use instruments purchased through TJPF support in their required Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Design & Technology classrooms – and nearly every student goes on to conduct independent research in one (or several) of TJ’s 13 research laboratory spaces, in many cases using equipment that cannot be found in comparable university-level spaces.

The TJPF also supports grants for STEM-specific professional development for TJ’s world-class staff, faculty, and administration. Each year, TJ teachers and administrators attend the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) Conference, where educators from America’s top STEM schools connect to share best practices in advanced STEM education. TJ is a leader at these gatherings and uses these opportunities to not only draw from the experiences of other schools, but to share their learnings as well. Your contribution makes a difference not only within TJ’s walls, but to the progress of STEM education across America.

TJ students inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.

Through grants from the TJPF, TJ students participate in and even organize and execute events that inspire young students to pursue STEM. Nearly every TJ STEM club participates in Techstravaganza, an annual event organized by Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology (TWIST). At this year’s “Techstrav”, nearly 4,000 aspiring young scientists witnessed demonstrations and exhibitions that enhanced their interest in nearly every STEM field imaginable.

TJ students also created HackTJ, an annual 24-hour event bringing students from across the DC metro area for one of America’s first and most prestigious high school hackathons. From solving unique challenges to creating inventive solutions through software development – with a little bit of ping-pong, chess, and video games thrown in – HackTJ is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

TJ LaunchX puts on InnovateTJ every year – a one-day “Shark Tank” style incubator where participants learn how to turn an idea into a pitch before attempting to sell their theme-specific innovation to local business leaders serving as volunteer judges. InnovateTJ inspires the entrepreneurs of tomorrow to convert creative ideas into real-world solutions to real-world problems.

An investment in the TJ Partnership Fund

is an investment in tomorrow's STEM leaders and the future of STEM Education in America.

Signature TJPF Events

Student Group Success