Building pathways for scientific leadership.
Dr. Raven Baxter’s educational initiatives are designed to strengthen the conditions under which science learning, participation, and leadership develop.
These efforts focus on scalable structures that expand access to high‑quality STEM education, integrate with educational systems, and prepare learners to move from curiosity to contribution to leadership within and beyond institutions.
Her initiatives integrate evidence‑informed design, cross‑sector partnerships, and learner‑centered pedagogy to create environments where opportunity is not dependent on privilege or proximity.
CORE EDUCATIONAL
Stellar Dreams
Add your pricing strategy. Be sure to include important details like value, length of service, and why it’s unique.
Science Communication Consortium
Add your pricing strategy. Be sure to include important details like value, length of service, and why it’s unique.
Advanced
Add your pricing strategy. Be sure to include important details like value, length of service, and why it’s unique.
Institutional and Sector Partnerships
Dr. Baxter’s initiatives are strengthened through collaborations with leading institutions, public agencies, and science organizations. These partnerships align program goals with broader educational and workforce development priorities:
Reagan‑Udall Foundation for the FDA + RTI International — Science of Immunity curriculum partnership that supports educator access to contemporary immunology and vaccine science resources.
National Center for Science Education (NCSE) — Collaboration on climate education resources and Earth Week resources to support teacher capacity in climate instruction.
NASA and Civic STEM Engagement — Engagement through NASA’s TechRise virtual field trip and other K–12 STEM experiences that connect learners to space science and engineering challenges.
SUNY Buffalo State University & Community Astronomy Partners — Partnerships supporting Stellar Dreams telescope distribution and astronomy learning events that ground national initiatives in local academic and community settings.
American Museum of Natural History — Contributions to museum field trip resources that enhance informal science education offerings.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) — Featured in educational video series Through the Window and into the Mirror, highlighting narratives of Black STEM professionals including Dr. Baxter.
Public Science Communication
in Practice
Dr. Baxter’s public-facing content doubles as an informal, culturally responsive science education platform that extends her impact far beyond traditional classrooms. Grounded in her research on hip-hop pedagogy and evidence-based communication, she creates engaging learning experiences that meet people where they are.
Her “Raven the Science Maven” persona was intentionally built “to widen access, shorten the distance between expertise and everyday life, and create learning environments that feel intelligible to audiences historically excluded from scientific spaces”. In practice, this means leveraging music, humor, and relatable pop-culture references to make science accessible and fun for diverse audiences.
These creative efforts bridge the gap between institutional expertise and the public. Her science-themed songs have even been used in classrooms nationwide to enrich STEM lessons.
The result is a dynamic, multi-platform informal curriculum that both educates and inspires, amplifying the reach of her educational leadership.
Baxter continued this creative streak with songs like “Big Ole Geeks” (celebrating Black women in lab coats) and a vaccine explainer rap in response to viral misinformation: all part of her strategy to infuse science with pop-culture energy so that key messages stick. Her tracks have been featured on major platforms and embraced by educators as memorable teaching tools, demonstrating how music can be a powerful vehicle for science learning.
Viral Science Music Videos
“Antibodyody” (The Antibody Song) – a hip-hop parody of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Body” – is a prime example of Baxter’s approach. Created in late 2020 to help a student study immunology, the rap breaks down antibodies and B cells through catchy lyrics and visuals. It quickly went viral, resonating with pandemic-weary listeners and even sparking TikTok trends.
The video ultimately taught nearly 3 million people across platforms about how our immune system works. Another hit, “Wipe It Down,” is a COVID-19 safety rap (set to Boosie’s “Wipe Me Down”) that Baxter filmed at home during the pandemic’s onset.
Donning periodic-table leggings and even singing from a bubble bath, she delivers public health tips in a fun way – “Don’t pass the sickness, just stay up in your house and mind ya business,” she quips. The video quickly went viral as well, airing on TV news segments from New York to Honolulu. (“This scientist has got the moves,” one Hawaii news anchor cheered).