LANL Foundation awards over $100,000 in grants to support STEAM education

Sixteen schools and community-based organizations across Northern New Mexico have received grants from the LANL Foundation to support their innovative work in STEAM education. 

Made possible by $100,000 in funding from the National Nuclear Security Administration for STEM career pipeline development, this one-year grant initiative supports hands-on learning and helps to build a regional STEAM framework that integrates science, technology, engineering, the arts and math to foster inquiry, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The Laboratory’s Community Partnerships Office (CPO), the LANL Foundation and the Northern New Mexico STEAM Coalition began collaborating in 2025 to develop the framework, with the aim of aligning schools, college and universities, and other organizations around a common approach to help students gain the knowledge and skills to succeed in STEAM careers. 

The grantees will test the model framework created by STEAM Coalition members and partners.

“Good work is happening throughout our region. Even though participants work in different parts of our education ecosystem, we have common aspirations for the kinds of opportunities we want our children and youth to have,” said LANL Foundation K-12 Director Kersti Tyson. “These grants are supporting our students to access the opportunities that will help them to develop the STEM skills, knowledge and identities they need to thrive in the 21st century.”

“At Los Alamos National Laboratory, our Community Partnerships Office recognizes the importance of investing in learning and human potential,” said CPO Director Kathy Keith. “These grants will enrich the student-experience in the seven counties surrounding the Laboratory: Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe and Taos.”

Grant recipients include Ojo Caliente Elementary School, STEMarts Lab in Taos, McCurdy Charter School in Española, and Picuris Pueblo Education Department. More details are available here.