New Mexico State University’s STEM Outreach Center recently received $2.7 million from the New Mexico Public Education Department to fund out-of-school-time STEM programs in the Las Cruces and Gadsden school districts for one year.

The grant was awarded by the New Mexico Public Education Department through the national 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program to implement programs in schools in the Gadsden Independent School District and Las Cruces Public Schools. The funding will allow the STEM Outreach Center, which is housed in the NMSU College of Education, to provide its programming to qualifying elementary and middle schools in each district in the 2020-21 academic year. Another $250,000 was awarded for summer STEM programs for K-8th grade students. Those programs will be offered from June through August 2021.

NMSU College of Education interim Dean Susan Brown said the funding will help provide STEM programs to thousands of students.

“I congratulate (STEM Outreach Center Director) Wanda Bulger-Tamez and (center co-director) Sara Morales for leading the team,” Brown said. “Because of their wonderful record providing the best program in the state, they will continue to provide professional development for our out-of-school-time teachers and provide over 6,500 K-8th grade students exciting, innovative, interactive STEM out-of-school-time programs for the academic year 2020-21.”

The STEM Outreach Center-led community learning centers will offer programs that support local schools in preparing students with age-appropriate knowledge, attitudes and behaviors to succeed at college, in a career and in life. Students will participate in the center’s activities outside of regular school hours.