Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are watchwords, not buzzwords at Sierra STEM
DEI in Our Curriculum
Sierra STEM aims to make outdoor recreation and the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math more welcoming, just, and inclusive spaces for everyone, especially historically marginalized populations.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are cornerstones of all of our activities and services. Our approach is academic and education-based: we teach the unvarnished human history of the places we visit and of the topics we explore, and we invite students to reflect on the echoing impacts of that history. Every program we run also has a strong component of environmental stewardship, which includes Leave No Trace practices, hands-on lessons around climate change, and interwoven environmental justice topics that encourage students to consider the disparate impacts of environmental decisions on different groups of people.
We ourselves are always learning, and we often partner with other organizations and individuals to develop curriculum or teach on certain topics, such as Indigenous history and lifeways, Japanese internment in the 1940s, and the effects of resource extraction on rural communities.
DEI in Our Everyday Practices
From designing every component of our interdisciplinary curriculum to administering every level of our organization, we commit to centering diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in every decision we make. Sierra STEM originated as a small local business, but converted to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2024 with the goal of serving a wider range of schools, student groups, and families. As a nonprofit we rely on public support (for example, grants and individual/corporate donations) to deliver our programming to all socioeconomic groups.
We are regularly improving access to our programs through outreach to language-limited and economically diverse communities around us. We empower girls to pursue careers in STEM fields through collaboration with women scientists and engineers. We also support other nonprofit organizations, institutions, and individuals working to help disadvantaged folks in our rural area, and we support the Indigenous groups in our region through civic engagement and mutual aid.