L’Oréal Paris Names Emily Cho Women of Worth Honoree

The student and founder of Juvie for STEM receives a $25,000 grant for her work in juvenile detention centers.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Scholarships

L’Oréal Paris Names Emily Cho Women of Worth Honoree

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Do you believe nonprofit educational programs are the best way to improve outcomes for incarcerated youth?

L’Oréal Paris USA has named Cornell University student Emily Cho as one of 10 honorees for its 2026 Women of Worth award. Cho founded Juvie for STEM, a nonprofit that provides educational workshops to incarcerated teens.

Why it matters

Cho launched the organization to bridge the gap in STEM educational access for incarcerated individuals. The award grant will support the mission of providing technical training and therapeutic services to students.

Juvie for STEM has reached 20,000 incarcerated teens across 36 facilities with a network of 7,000 volunteers. The organization provides instruction in subjects such as coding, robotics, and astrophysics.

The players

Emily Cho

She is the founder of Juvie for STEM and a current student at Cornell University.

Juvie for STEM

This nonprofit organization provides STEM education and therapeutic programming to incarcerated teens.

L'Oréal Paris USA

This division of the global cosmetics company manages the annual Women of Worth awards program.

The details

Juvie for STEM delivers workshops in juvenile detention centers to provide incarcerated youth with skills in data analysis and robotics. Emily Cho formalized the nonprofit after receiving inquiries from local businesses and community groups interested in her tutoring work.

Emily Cho began tutoring adults in math at a prison in 2019.
L’Oréal Paris USA named Emily Cho a Women of Worth honoree in 2026.

Culture Shift

This initiative follows a pattern set by the First Step Act of 2018 by highlighting the private sector role in advancing educational rehabilitation for incarcerated individuals. It reflects a growing focus on bridging the digital divide for populations within the corrections system.

The expansion of Juvie for STEM into new regions, including Louisiana, will provide more incarcerated youth with access to technical training. This growth demonstrates how individual-led nonprofits can influence educational opportunities within state facilities.

The takeaway

Empowering incarcerated youth with technical skills can significantly shift their educational trajectory upon reentry into society. Supporters interested in this model can look for ways to volunteer or contribute to similar community-based STEM programs.