Hidden among maze of nondescript offices is a center responsible for fostering the love of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among thousands of children at every grade level in New Mexico, along with their families.
The NMSU STEM Outreach Center offers a variety of out-of-school-time activities to more than 5,000 students as part of the New Mexico Public Education Department’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. Since 2001, the center has also hosted a series of popular summer camps on the NMSU campus, featuring activities involving drones, robots, computers and more.
“Having camps to explore has broadened his mind beyond just the schoolwork; he understands why he has the work in this regular school day,” says Sonya Bales, a data management assistant for the STEM Outreach Center whose son has participated in past summer camps. “He has learned that it is okay to be in new places and see new things such as the solar system, and how to start preparing to be a detective, and how to dissect a piglet.”
“Gettings kids to become interested in STEM is about helping them to see how they engage in STEM on a daily basis, promoting thinking and problem-solving, and showing them that they can be creators of new STEM ideas,” says Wanda Bulger-Tamez, director of the STEM Outreach Center. “The STEM Outreach Center is purposefully creating curriculum and K-12 experiences that help students see themselves in a STEM career. We are noticing that often students graduate high school and plan to go to college, but do not have a vision for their future or a career plan. Providing opportunities for students to engage in STEM experiences and connecting those experiences to future careers increases the potential for students to pursue STEM careers.”
During the 2022-2023 school year, a total of 5,146 students participated in 21st Century Program activities at school districts in Gadsden, Hatch, Hobbs, Las Cruces and Lordsburg, as well as Silver Consolidated Schools in Silver City, and Raices del Saber Community School in Las Cruces. Students participated in 98,820 hours of STEM activities. Among the participating students, 89% identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 53% of students were female.
According to statistics compiled by the STEM Outreach Center, 2,950 students who participated in English and reading activities saw a 3% improvement in their grades from quarter 1 to quarter 4. In math, 2,926 students saw a 4% improvement in their grades over the same time frame.
And students weren’t the only ones learning through the center’s activities. Families participated in 202 hours of parenting skills and family literacy activities during the same school year.
The center also fosters a number of community partnerships, including one with La Semilla Food Center in Anthony, New Mexico, where students can learn how their food is grown and harvested.
In early 2025, the center opened its new Technology Engineering Experiential Network, or TEEN, Center in the Ed and Harold Foreman Engineering Complex on the NMSU campus. It quickly became a popular spot for elementary, middle and high school students during their visits to the university.
Funding for the center came from the New Mexico Public Education Department, which offers funding for teen centers across New Mexico. The STEM Outreach Center worked with the New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network to learn more about the benefits that these centers bring to youths, and to assess and support their vision for the future.
“We’re able to serve students in pre-K through 12th grade,” says Sara Morales, associate director of the STEM Outreach Center. “The students are able to participate in different activities such as coding and robotics to help them further their skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
According to the New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network, nearly 80% of future careers will require some STEM skills. Creating a stimulating STEM education fosters basic analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills central to academic achievement and workforce readiness.
“My dream is to get to play soccer one day, but I’m thinking about a career in engineering or robotics,” says Angel Lujan, a student Desert View Elementary School in Sunland Park, New Mexico, who visited the new TEEN center in spring 2025. “It’s a lot of fun.”
For more information about the STEM Outreach Center, visit https://stemcenter.nmsu.edu/.
1220 Stewart Street
O'Donnell Hall, Suite 301
Las Cruces, NM 88003
