National Science & Technology Medals Foundation

THE NSTMF'S MISSION IS TO BUILD INCLUSIVE STEM COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. FUNDAMENTAL TO THESE COMMUNITIES ARE THE SIGNIFICANT, INSPIRATIONAL CONNECTIONS WE FOSTER BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM AND TODAYS DIVERSE GENERATION OF COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. TOGETHER THEY WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR A MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. OUR VISION IS TO BE A DRIVING FORCE IN CREATING A WORLD IN WHICH THE DIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY IS REFLECTED IN THE RECIPIENTS OF ALL PRESTIGIOUS STEM HONORS, INCLUDING FUTURE LAUREATE CLASSES OF THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE AND THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.

THE INSTEM MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: IS AN AUXILIARY SUPPORT NETWORK OF AND FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES STUDYING STEM. STUDENTS ARE LEAVING STEM MAJORS AT AN ALARMINGLY FAST RATE. STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES ARE EVEN LESS LIKELY TO GRADUATE WITH THEIR STEM DEGREES. EFFECTIVE MENTORSHIP HAS PROVEN SUCCESSFUL IN RETAINING STUDENTS IN STEM PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES. INSTEM OFFERS AN INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS TO CONNECT WITH THEIR PEERS AND FACULTY WHILE FEELING SUPPORTED IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN BE SUBJECT TO A LACK OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. INSTEM OFFERS FOUR YEARS OF PROGRAMMING; EACH HAS A THEME BASED ON THE SCHOLARS' NEEDS FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR. EACH COHORT INCLUDES 15 INSTEM SCHOLARS AND ONE COACH, A STEM PROFESSOR, OR AN ESTABLISHED GRADUATE STUDENT AT THE INSTITUTION. STEM EXPERTS VISIT COHORTS TO LEAD WORKSHOPS AND PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO THE GREATER STEM COMMUNITY.

STEM SPOTLIGHT: IS A SERIES OF LIVE-STREAMED AND PRE-RECORDED EVENTS WITH STEM EXPERTS AND 20 TO 40 STUDENTS. IN COORDINATION WITH STEM-FOCUSED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND CLASSES, THE NSTMF FACILITATES A CONVERSATION - NOT A LECTURE - THAT PROVIDES STEM EXPERTS THE SPACE TO SHARE STORIES OF THEIR WORK AND THE OBSTACLES THEY HAVE FACED. STUDENTS CAN RESPOND IN REAL-TIME WITH THEIR STORIES AND THEIR QUESTIONS. WITH A MAXIMUM OF JUST 40 STUDENT ATTENDEES, ALL PARTICIPANTS CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH THEIR IDEAS.

"SCIENCE AND INNOVATION UNSCRIPTED- OR "UNSCRIPTED," WAS CREATED BY THE NSTMF TO SERVE THE FOUNDATIONS MISSION OF CHAMPIONING THE WORK AND LIVES OF AMERICAS GREATEST SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS AND CONNECTING THESE EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUALS TO THE NEXT GENERATION. THE PROGRAM MARKS OUR FIRST STEP TOWARD BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE COALITION OF INSPIRED STEM STUDENTS. THE PROGRAM FEATURES NATIONAL MEDAL LAUREATES AND OTHER PROMINENT STEM EXPERTS IN INTIMATE, DISCUSSION-CENTRIC EVENTS. NOW IN ITS FIFTH YEAR, THE PROGRAM HAS FEATURED NEARLY 40 EXPERTS, REACHED AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 10,000 STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AND CREATED RELATIONSHIPS WITH 20+ UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTIONS. THE HALLMARK OF THESE EVENTS IS THE INTIMATE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH STEM EXPERTS SHARE STORIES ABOUT NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS WELL AS THE FAILURE AND FALSE STARTS THAT DEFINED THEIR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS. GEARED TOWARDS STUDENTS AND YOUNG STEM PROFESSIONALS, THESE EVENTS PULL BACK THE CURTAIN ON WORLD-CHANGING SCIENTIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE AUDIENCE IS ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS AND ENGAGE WITH THE SPEAKERS OUTSIDE THE STRUCTURE OF A TYPICAL STUDENT-TEACHER INTERACTION. BY ATTENDING ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS OR WATCHING ONLINE, STUDENTS GAIN ACCESS TO A SET OF INDIVIDUALS THEY WOULDNT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION.

NATIONAL MEDALS EVENTS - SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE NSTMF HAS HONORED THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO RECEIVE AMERICAS HIGHEST HONORS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE AND THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION. THESE MEDALS, BESTOWED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO LEAD OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD IN SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT. THEIR PASSION FOR KNOWLEDGE HAS TAKEN US BEYOND OUR PLANET, TO THE BOTTOM OF OUR SEAS, AND DEEP WITHIN THE NEURAL PATHWAYS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. THE NSTMF HONORS THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY HOSTING THE NATIONAL MEDALS CELEBRATION, A THREE-DAY CELEBRATION OF INGENUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN STEM. THE CELEBRATION HONORS THE NEW CLASS OF LAUREATES, THE BROADER LAUREATE COMMUNITY, AND LEADERS IN THE STEM COMMUNITY DOING EXCELLENT WORK IN THE LAB AND IN SUPPORT OF THEIR COMMUNITY. THE NSTMF HOSTS THE NATIONAL MEDALS CELEBRATION, A DAY-LONG SERIES OF EVENTS BEGINNING WITH A CEREMONY WHERE THE LAUREATES RECEIVE THEIR MEDALS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND ENDING WITH A CELEBRATORY GALA FOR LAUREATES AND THEIR HONORED GUESTS.