Robert Graham, IDEA’s ninth-grade biology teacher, has been an educator in the DC schools since 2007. His goal in the classroom is to get his scholars excited about the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. He is glad to be able to contribute to the community through his work as an educator. 

In taking up teaching, he is following a family tradition. His father was a math and science teacher and a school principal, and his mother was a teacher. A North Carolina native, Mr. Graham has a Bachelor of Science in biology from East Carolina University. 

Mr. Graham is a self-described lifelong learner who enjoys traveling and trying new foods. 

The quote that inspires him is: "You are where you are today because you stand on somebody's shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It's the quid pro quo of life. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give." -Vernon Jordan