New Mexico STEM Challenge winners get $500 a piece. Here are the winning teams.

Tiffany Acosta
·4 min read
Student teams present during the in-person New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge Showcase held Dec. 11, 2021 at New Mexico State University’s Corbett Center.
Student teams present during the in-person New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge Showcase held Dec. 11, 2021 at New Mexico State University’s Corbett Center.

LAS CRUCES - More than 300 students participated in the third annual New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge, a competition testing high school students’ ability to use science, technology, engineering and math to solve real-world problems. New Mexico State University hosted the hybrid format 2021 showcase, with the virtual event held Dec. 10 and the in-person event held Dec. 11 at NMSU’s Corbett Center.

Led by New Mexico’s Office of the Governor, the challenge was a collaboration between NMSU, the Department of Public Education, the Department of Workforce Solutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory and 22 industry partners in the state.

“Through the STEM Challenge, we have seen student ingenuity, brilliance and meaningful collaboration,” said Department of Public Education Deputy Secretary Gwen Perea Warniment. “We celebrate New Mexico educators and students who have demonstrated profound, deeper learning in a way that helps us all envision a better education system.”

Teams from public, private and charter high schools across the state participated, along with judges from 22 industry partners, plus educators, volunteers and government officials.

“I’m delighted our university was able to host such an outstanding event,” said NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu. “I was particularly impressed with the students who took part, and the projects they presented. These thoughtful solutions to the challenges we’re facing today give me great confidence in the talent we have here in our state. We can ensure a bright future by working to keep them here in New Mexico.”

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Each team was composed of up to 10 students who designed and developed a project model to address the question posed by NMSU, “how would you use science, technology, engineering and math to make life better for your family, community, state or country?”

“The goal of education is to teach children how to learn,” said New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Deputy Secretary Yolanda Cordova. “The STEM Challenge proves New Mexico youth have mastered the ability to think deeply, problem solve and the importance of collaboration to reach new heights. Congratulations to all the student teams, and a huge thank-you to the industry sponsors.”

Industry partners provided judges and cash awards capped at $5,000 per winning team of up to 10 members. Each student on a winning team took home $500.

“This year’s New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge was an inspiring event for all involved,” said Los Alamos National Foundation President and CEO Jennifer M. Parks. “For the LANL Foundation and other sponsors, it was exciting to see what can be accomplished when we all come together with a common purpose. It takes a big team to pull off a statewide competition with both high school and employer involvement, but the partnership with NMSU, NM PED and the governor’s office helped everything run beautifully. It was a real highlight of the year to get to do the showcase in person and be with all of those involved.”

The winners are (in alphabetical order):

  • Academy for Technology and the Classics, Santa Fe (Sponsor: Stantec)

  • Axiom Christian Classical School, Albuquerque (Sponsor: PNM)

  • Bernalillo High School, Bernalillo (Sponsor: N3B)

  • Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield (Employer Partner Award)

  • Capital High School, Santa Fe (Employer Partner Award)

  • Centennial High School, Las Cruces (Sponsor: Boeing)

  • Cloudcroft High School, Cloudcroft (Sponsor: Pattern Energy)

  • Crownpoint High School, Crownpoint (Employer Partner Award)

  • East Mountain High School, Sandia Park (Sponsor: ExxonMobil)

  • Goddard High School, Roswell (Employer Partner Award)

  • Jal High School, Jal (Sponsor: WSP-Golder)

  • Mandela International Magnet School, Santa Fe (Sponsor: Sandia National Laboratories)

  • Mark Armijo Academy, Albuquerque (Sponsor: Intel)

  • Mayfield High School, Las Cruces (Sponsor: Freeport McMoran)

  • Monte del Sol Charter School, Santa Fe (Sponsor: Chevron)

  • New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell (Sponsor: Presbyterian Health Care Services)

  • Pecos Cyber Academy, Carlsbad (Sponsor: Facebook)

  • Roswell High, Roswell (Sponsor: Molina Health Care)

  • San Jon High School, San Jon (Sponsor: Presbyterian Health Care Services)

  • Sandia High School, Albuquerque (Sponsor: Air Force Research Laboratories)

  • Santa Teresa High School, Santa Teresa (Employer Partner Award)

  • Southwest Secondary Learning Center, Albuquerque (Employer Partner Award)

  • Southwest Aeronautics, Mathematics and Science Academy, Albuquerque (Employer Partner Award)

  • Taos Academy, Taos (Employer Partner Award)

  • Taos High School, Taos (Sponsor: Los Alamos National Laboratory)

  • Taos Integrated School of the Arts Charter, Taos (Sponsor: Lovelace)

  • Technology Leadership High School, Albuquerque (Sponsor: URENCO)

  • The ASK Academy, Rio Rancho (Sponsor: Deloitte)

  • Tucumcari High School, Tucumcari (Sponsor: Virgin Galactic)

  • V. Sue Cleveland High School, Rio Rancho (Sponsor: National Radio Astronomy Observatory)

Tiffany Acosta writes for New Mexico State University and can be reached at 575-646-3929, tfrank@nmsu.edu.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico STEM Challenge winners get $500 a piece. Here are the winning teams.