Mission statement

STEM Santa Fe advocates for, develops and provides STEM programming, mentoring and resources for all youth, especially under-represented groups in STEM, to realize their potential and expand their opportunities in a dynamic world.

Guiding principles

1. 1.     Inspiring students to remain engaged in school and interested in STEM fields through programs centered on high-quality hands-on activities, project-based learning with real-world applications.
   
   2.     Promoting STEM education by working to close the opportunity gap for underrepresented groups in STEM in Northern New Mexico at no cost to individuals.
   
   3.     Strengthening students’ growth mindset and building their confidence in a STEM identity by engaging them with caring STEM professionals and college students who act as mentors and role models.
   
   4.     Students gain skills (like teamwork, problem-solving, and resiliency) and networks that support long-term academic success and economic mobility, strengthening both individual lives, friendships, and the broader workforce in Northern New Mexico.
   
   5.     STEM Santa Fe is dedicated to advancing STEM education and career pathways for students as early as 5^thgrade and through high school by adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math (STEAM) to deliver engaging, high-quality educational opportunities.
   
   6.     Cultivating a community in Northern New Mexico of STEM professionals, volunteers, interns, and educators to be a supportive network for students and for each other.
   
   7.     Invigorating the New Mexico STEM education ecosystem by forming collaborations and coalitions with local groups, schools, and nonprofits that share our vision.

Inclusion Statement

As a STEM advocate strive to understand and creatively solve current and future problems in our world, it is crucial that the voices of all people are represented in all the fields STEM encompasses. Race, ethnicity, culture, nation of origin, language spoken, gender identity and expression, color, religion, disability, and sexual orientation are all vital aspects of peoples' voices. We strive to make STEM Santa Fe a safe and welcoming space for students from under-represented communities.
Our focus on equity-based practices throughout our programming helps us recruit, engage, and support any and all students who benefit from hands-on, relevant STEM education. By leveraging our community of practice to create a more diverse, equitable, all inclusive environment for STEM education, we hope to create a foundation for a world filed with analytical citizens exploring complex issues for the betterment of society.

Land Acknowledgement

STEM Santa Fe acknowledges that our work is conducted on the lands of Tewa people centered
around O’gah’poh geh Owingeh (translated as White Shell Water Place), now known by most as
the city of Santa Fe. The spaces we work in are interconnected with the peoples who still hold
lands known as Tesuque Pueblo (Tet-Sugeh), Pojoaque Pueblo (P'o Suwae-Geh), Nambé Pueblo
(Nambay O-Wing-Geh), San Ildefonso Pueblo (P'o-Woh-Geoweenge), Santa Clara Pueblo
(Kha'P'oo Owinge), and San Juan Pueblo (Ohkay-Owingeh). 
STEM Santa Fe recognizes that the deep relationships of Native Americans to the land around
us extend beyond the areas now delineated as these pueblos. We will strive to be good
stewards of the spaces we work in, to honor the people who lived on this land before us and to
make sure it can nurture those who come after us.

STEM Santa Fe's logo

- Resemblance to the NM flag symbolizing dedication to New Mexico youth.
- The color purple represents:
STEM Santa Fe’s birth month of February represented by the birthstone Amethyst.
Originally established to provide programming exclusively for girls, purple is a mix of pink and blue with a more prominent red hue over blue.
- The three lines in the logo stand for 3 organizational pillars:
STEM professionals who volunteer as mentors and role models for students.
Project-based and hands-on learning experiences.
Affordable programming at low to no cost to families to reduce educational disparities.
- The incorporation of the STEM Santa Fe’s name around the logo underscores the interconnectedness and inter-disciplinarity of STEM disciplines.
- The gear cog symbolizes the active mind engaged in the process of learning, with its wheels turning.