NOVA - Navigators of a Virtual Age

Founded by Vishant Baskar, NOVA helps middle-school students explore technology through hands-on learning. Across two summers, the program reached 41 students through 19 sessions, beginning with Java programming in 2025 and expanding into robotics and basic engineering in 2026.

Ruthvik, currently a junior, will take over leadership from Vishant. NOVA has retained its robotics equipment for future workshops.

LeapOnward's Support From Programming to Robotics

Building on eight Java programming sessions in 2025, NOVA expanded into robotics and basic engineering with 11 sessions in summer 2026. Vishant Baskar, Ruthvik Mullangi Chenchu, and Mohit Nair helped students build, test, and troubleshoot their creations.

LeapOnward supported NOVA through fiscal sponsorship, mentorship, outreach, and connections to new opportunities. Founder Shaadana Rajesh connected the team with House of Shine’s Change Bowl, where NOVA received a $1,520 award to support its hands-on STEM workshops. Founder Sanah Rajesh provided design, marketing, and technical support. LeapOnward also provided reusable robotics equipment through its robotics partnership, Krypton Warriors New Jersey.

Founder's Testimonial

From NOVA's founder:

“LeapOnward played a big role in outreach and...opportunities to...grow my organization. They helped me connect with ...people and make sure my organization...was known so people would be compelled to join. They also helped me find opportunities...which helped further promote my organization NOVA through outreach...but also helped fund my workshops.... For connecting me with more communities and being an outlet for my passion of teaching, I truly appreciate what LeapOnward has done for me."

— Vishant Baskar

Parent Testimonials

Hear what the parents of students who attended the NOVA programs and workshops thought about the robotics workshops.

“They made learning fun and easy to understand, and my son was always excited to attend… My son is looking forward to the next summer camp with them.”

— Kiran Setty, Parent

“My 8th grader, who has never been keen on building anything, took special interest in this workshop and worked through the challenges… The last day was the highlight as all the participants got to showcase their hard work into real time robotics achievements.”

— Raji Reddy, Parent

Students present their robotics projects during the 2026 Summer Robotics Workshop.

Students present their robotics projects during the 2026 Summer Robotics Workshop.