Himel Poddar

Himel (17), is from India. Growing up in a family facing financial hardship, Himel taught himself to code, driven by an obsession with technology. Witnessing the gap in STEM education for underprivileged students, along with the growing threats of climate change and local displacement, convinced him that future generations couldn’t afford to wait on slow-moving government curricula.

Himel founded F.U.T.U.R.E., a tech-based nonprofit reimagining children’s education rights through a futuristic lens. He self-curates his own curriculum, running workshops and weekly sessions on cutting-edge topics like space colonization, blockchain governance, quantum computing, and tech-driven climate solutions. Not content to work alone, he used LinkedIn, cold-emailing, and online campaigns to bring professors on board to help design accessible curricula for students with limited resources, and created online courses, guided learning paths, and webinars to spread this knowledge further.

His work has already caught the attention of the Government of West Bengal, recognizing his contribution to reimagining STEM education. By blending self-taught skill with bold ambition, Himel is proving that underprivileged students don’t have to settle for outdated education, they can be taught the technologies shaping tomorrow.