Bonnetta Adeeb

Bonnetta Adeeb is the founder and President of STEAM ONWARD, Inc., a Southern Maryland–based non-profit dedicated to expanding opportunities for minority and underserved youth in STEM fields. A retired educator with 37 years of experience teaching social studies, career research and work-based learning, she has devoted her career to empowering young people through hands-on learning, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. Ms. Adeeb also co-founded the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA) and Ujamaa Seeds, initiatives that strengthen food sovereignty by increasing access to culturally meaningful, regionally adapted seeds. As a Commissioner with the Cooperative Gardens Commission, she helps distribute free heirloom seeds to more than 300 seed hubs nationwide, supporting families, schools, churches, and community gardens. Under her leadership, STEAM ONWARD’s youth—known as the Young Researchers Community Project (YRCP)—have created community demonstration gardens, restoration projects, and an orchard in Waldorf, Maryland. They also launched Nature’s Knights, a Chesapeake Bay regional initiative promoting environmental justice, food sustainability, and water quality. Ms. Adeeb recently served as Principal Investigator for a Northeast SARE Research for Novel Approaches grant, advancing UCFA’s mission to bring culturally meaningful crops to market while addressing food justice and climate adaptation across the region. Above all, she is a passionate educator and community leader who has dedicated her life to the empowerment and advancement of others.