These Teenaged Twins Bring The Arts To STEM To Make It More Fun

In 2023, STEM skills have become more crucial than ever. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in STEM fields will grow by 11 percent by 2031, and enjoy a median salary of over $100K. The ultimate goal of an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics concerns more than simply mastery of these subjects, however. Ultimately, it empowers students with a mindset that enables critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability in an ever-changing world.

Teenage twins Jaanak and Jaagat Prashar are the cofounders of STARTS (STEM and arts), an organization that aims to promote a STEM education by making it more accessible through the arts. They have observed that oftentimes, the arts and the sciences are treated as two distinct entities – when in fact the fields are inextricably linked. Jaagat is a theatre fanatic and Jaanak is an avid visual artist, yet both young men also regularly compete in science fairs and enjoy coding in their spare time.

Jaanak and Jaagat are both World Science Scholars as part of a program that selects about 50 students globally based on extraordinary mathematical talent and are also Yale Young Global Scholars alumni. Their computational biology research was accepted to and presented at the Data Science for Social Good Workshop at the 29th ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining. They have also received recognition from Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, for community service in mental health accessibility efforts as a part of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative Program with UNICEF.

Jaanak Prashar is a public health advocate who has met and spoken with senators and representatives across the country on the under-regulated sale of diet pills and muscle building supplements. He coordinates advocacy initiatives at the National Eating Disorders Coalition as co-director of the research department for the Young Adult Council. He is also an avid computational researcher, presenting at his first out of many academic conferences at just the age of 16.

Jaagat Prashar was one of ten students selected to represent the state of Texas as a Thespian Ambassador, for which he helped garner over 5,000 pledges to support theater education, published an article on social emotional learning (SEL), co-organized a workshop on diversity and inclusion (DEI), and advocated for greater accessibility to the arts. As a human rights advocate, he also has co-authored reports for the UN office for human rights on topics such as hate speech and internally-displaced individuals. He has applied his creative skills to science, as well, conducting research on machine learning’s applications to healthcare and the social sciences.

The Prashar brothers’ podcast, STARTS Podcast, has reached over 50K views on social media, impacting 34 countries across six continents. Their latest guest was Dr. Stephen Wolfram, a computer scientist, the CEO of Wolfram Research and a MacArthur Fellow. They’ve held conversations with academic faculty and talented artists, writers and chief scientists at leading companies. The podcast has been recognized by the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Rice University Neuroengineering Initiative.

Jaagat Prashar discovered his life purpose upon accidentally signing up for a theatre class in 7th grade. It ended up sparking his excitement for playing characters with different identities from various cultural backgrounds, who carry with them diverse perspectives. As a scientist, he has developed novel drug molecules and written software to combat systemic racism at traffic stops, using machine learning with empathy to address social issues.

Jaanak Prashar’s parents noticed that he was gifted at a very young age. As early as preschool, he would read newspapers with great focus. He came upon his life purpose at the age of seven, when he read about a genetic technology named CRISPR. Soon, he began spending countless hours every evening coding in computational biology. Yet he also developed a deep love for the humanities.

Both Jaanak and Jaagat Prashar’s greatest reward in pursuing a career in scientific research and the arts has been their ability to genuinely impact their community through their creativity. They also credit the global perspective brought to them through their unique upbringing. Born in New Delhi, India, they moved to Baku, Azerbaijan at a very young age for a few years, and then lived in Dubai for ten years. They moved to Texas in grade seven.

Most importantly, as immigrants, Jaanak and Jaagat Prashar are eager to pursue the American dream by honoring the tremendous sacrifices made by their parents – neither of whom are scientists. The motto of the young men’s podcast is “challenge the conventional.” Jaanak and Jaagat not only aspire to continue upholding this value in their lives by following their true passions and staying humble, but also by sharing it with the public through their podcast conversations.

In spite of limited scientific resources in their community, the twins decided to teach themselves machine learning and biology through textbooks, free online lectures, and open access scientific articles. They became the first students in their city and school district to advance to the world’s most prestigious science competition, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), where they earned the 3rd Place Grand Award in the category of computational biology and bioinformatics.

Jaanak and Jaagat Prashar advise other young people to always practice humility and gratitude. “Being able to recognize that knowledge is infinite is a powerful skill that will allow one to learn more,” they said in an exclusive interview with me. “Mastering a strong, unwavering, and focused mindset is pivotal for being successful, which includes developing discipline habits and a healthy lifestyle.” In addition to tackling research, the twins always allocate time to spend with their family, play a game of basketball or badminton, and help other youth in their educational journeys.

A quote that the Prashars have developed and come to embrace is the following: “Always take the time to value the small moments in life, for perspective changes everything, and don’t lose sight of your journey, goals, and values.”