What does Belonging in STEM mean to us?
Hello Earthlings! Samuel Singer here, the Founder of Wyoming Stargazing and now the Head of Astronomy Experiences at Teton Science Schools. When I created this STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program five years ago a few of our supporters let me know that they thought that I was just following a fad and that Wyoming Stargazing had no place taking a stand on social issues as an education focused nonprofit organization. I responded that I respectfully disagreed and that I had other intentions. Below are my thoughts and intentions.
Giving Deserved Credit
The field of astronomy as with all the scientific disciplines in the United States has historically not given enough credit to those who deserve it (e.g. the Harvard Computers, Vera Rubin, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, etc.). More recently the astronomical and the scientific community at large have given credit to some who deserve it, but we still have a long way to go to make sure that rightful credit is given when it is deserved and that it is given to the correct individuals or groups.
Knowing Our History
The history of astronomy is unfortunately full of examples of women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color not having the same opportunities to contribute as their white male counterparts. We believe that everyone wins when everyone has a chance to contribute. We want to make that a reality for future generations. Also unfortunately, most people alive today in the United States can’t even name one woman astronomer past or present. This is a lack of knowledge that needs to be corrected.
Taking Advantage of Everyone’s Contributions
The ability to teach and to do good science is not dictated by a person’s skin color, gender, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation. The content of an individual’s character, their words, their actions, and the extent to which they can fulfill the responsibilities given to them should be the basis for belonging and evaluation. We invite everyone to join us in making STEM communities places where everyone can belong. Everyone wins when we all can contribute.
Creating A Sense Of Belonging
Eventually, Wyoming Stargazing will no longer need the Belonging in STEM program because everything we do as an organization will be integrated with the above values. We’re not there yet, but I want to be clear on the following issues.
Anti-Discrimination Statement
Wyoming Stargazing does not discriminate on the basis of skin color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality. We try to help everyone feel a sense of belonging. Wyoming Stargazing facilitates, vehicles and programs are open to everyone regardless of any of the above listed factors. We expect our staff, Board Members, and guests to adhere to the highest standards of civility and respect for everyone while involved with Wyoming Stargazing in any capacity.
Despite our best efforts to provide everyone access to our programs, we are acutely aware of how economic disadvantages and other disparities can prohibit students from accessing learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. By promoting a sense of Belonging in STEM for everyone we hope to address that problem.
We welcome feedback on how the Wyoming Stargazing community can continue to become a safer space for everyone.
4th Year Report · 2026
Belonging in
STEM Scholarships
Wyoming Stargazing & First in Family Jackson Hole
About the Partnership
Two organizations,
one shared mission
Wyoming Stargazing (WYSG) and First in Family Jackson Hole (FIFJH) are proud to be entering the 4th year of our partnership — offering 4-year, $5,000/year scholarships to FIFJH scholars pursuing STEM-related studies at the University of Wyoming or other 4-year institutions.
Support begins in each scholar’s Junior year of high school and continues through college graduation, with connections to initial job placement.
Wyoming Observación de estrellas
Provides scholarship funds and STEM-related tutoring to scholars beginning their Junior year in high school and continuing through college.
First in Family Jackson Hole
Offers wrap-around support for scholars and their families from Junior year in high school through college and initial job-placement connections.
Our Scholars
Six bright futures
Together, these scholars represent $90,000 in collective financial support — and a future for STEM in Wyoming.
Important Updates
2026 Program Stats
We are currently providing 4,000 hours of STEM tutoring support for over 300 Teton County Middle School and High School students every year.
Every year we offer two $5k scholarships for FIFJH students who are entering college to study STEM fields.
Since 2022, we have raised over $500k to support these STEM tutoring and scholarsip programs.
Over 1,200 students have benefited from our efforts.
Over the past four years, our tutoring support has allowed AVID student enrollment to double (from roughly 50 to over 100 students) at the high school level.
In the 2020-2021 school year at JHHS, 9.5% of White students were enrolled in AP classes, but only 5% of Latine students were enrolled in the same classes (SY 2020-2021). That same year, only 39% of AVID students were enrolled in AP classes. During the 2024-2025 school year, 81% of AVID students were enrolled in AP classes.
Our First High-Altitude Weather Balloon!
in 2024, we successfully launched and recovered our first high altitude weather balloon! We'll be showing students how to do this and how to collect data from weather balloon launches in our mentorship programs with AVID and the Teton Science Schools.
Our Sponsors
Many thanks to our private donors and the following organizations that make this work possible.
Belonging in STEM Scholarship and Mentorship Program
The State of STEM Fields
According to a report published by the Pew Research Center in April of 2021, women and people of color were underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce as of 20181. Another study published in January of 2021 revealed systemic inequalities for LGBTQIA+ professionals in STEM fields2. The 2021 annual Condition of Education report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that college acceptance and success rates of affluent students are far greater than those of non-affluent students across the US.
Where Our Mission Aligns with STEM
We are acutely aware of how economic disadvantages and disabilities can prohibit students from accessing learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, race, nationality, gender, or other identifiers. Wyoming Stargazing wants to further our mission of educating and inspiring everyone by increasing a sense of Belonging in STEM.
Initiative Objectives
With that goal in mind we're creating a scholarship and mentorship program for opportunity youth to attend a university or community college so that they can successfully earn a degree in a STEM field. Our goal is to provide STEM mentoring and tutoring support beginning in elementary school and to provide four $5,000 annual scholarships to deserving local graduating seniors for up to four years of college.
During the School Year
In the mentorship program students will gain valuable personal and professional skills to help them succeed in college and throughout the rest of their lives. This program will also support students through their transitions from middle school to high school to college and then to a professional career, which can be exceptionally daunting. The mentorship component of this program is done in collaboration with the Teton County School District (TCSD) Achievement via Individual Determination program (AVID), Girl’s Actively Participating (GAP), and other local nonprofit organizations. We provide STEM tutoring and mentoring support for students on a daily basis throughout the school year both during school hours and after school.
Summer Programs
In the summer students will have an opportunity to engage with additional STEM learning opportunities from Wyoming Stargazing in Jackson. Our STEM mentorship lessons will address scientific and mathematical reasoning as well as provide practical opportunities to do science through authentic learning activities including, but not limited to, launching of weather balloons with data collection devices, designing payloads and experiments for the International Space Station, building telescopes, and fabricating and launching nanosats. In addition skills pertaining to emotional intelligence, client communication, writing, financial planning, mindfulness, networking and negotiation, and computer literacy will be woven into the curriculum.
After Graduation
All graduating seniors in Teton County intending to pursue a college degree in the STEM fields will be eligible to apply for the scholarship we offer. However, we will be giving preference to students who demonstrate financial need and whose identities are underrepresented in STEM fields. We will continue to offer weekly STEM mentorship opportunities to our scholarship recipients throughout their time in college as well as to assist them with initial job placement upon graduation. The mentorship program for our scholarship recipients will take place online during the school year and will be a hybrid of online learning and in-person learning during the summers. Scholarship recipients will also receive paid summer employment opportunities at Wyoming Stargazing that dovetail with the mentorship program.
Looking Ahead
Wyoming Stargazing has a staff and Board of Directors with strong youth mentorship and leadership experience, scientific training, astronomical knowledge, and business acumen. Along with a local steering committee, administrative support from the Fund for Public Education, and other incredible community partnerships we have an amazing opportunity to do so much more to support local students than we ever have before. Our hope is that students who might have otherwise lacked access to STEM opportunities in college will find the support they need within their community to pursue their dreams.
1“STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress In Increasing Gender, Racial And Ethnic Diversity”. Pew Research Center Science & Society, 2021, Link.
2Cech, E. A., and T. J. Waidzunas. “SySTEMic Inequalities For LGBTQIA+QIA+Q Professionals In STEM”. Science Advances, Vol 7, no. 3, 2021. American Association For The Advancement Of Science (AAAS), Link.
Preliminary Program Design
Scholarship Program Outline
- Awards
- $5K annually for up to 4 years of undergraduate education to a maximum of 4 students each year
- Timeline
- The first scholarships will be offered to graduating seniors from the class of 2023.
- Each year up to 4 additional students will receive the scholarship so that after 4 years there can be up to 16 scholarship recipients concurrently enrolled in college each year.
- Student Criteria
- Any graduating senior from Teton County can apply for the scholarship, however preference will be given to students who demonstrate large financial need and whose identities are underrepresented in the STEM fields.
- Students must anticipate majoring in a STEM field at a college, university, or community college of their choosing
- Student Requirements
- Complete the First in Family JH Application
- Complete an interview with the Belonging in STEM Scholarship Steering Committee
- Enroll full-time at a college, university, or community school
- Major in a STEM field
- Complete two semesters with a GPA above 2.5
- Complete 1st college year mentorship program (online and in-person)
- Complete summer employment in STEM related field
- Upon enrollment in their third semester and with completion of the 1st college year of the mentorship program students can reapply for the scholarship
- Structure
- Financial disbursements and administrative duties and student tracking will be handled by First in Family JH.
- The Belonging in STEM Steering Committee will make scholarship award decisions by a simple majority vote.
- Wyoming Stargazing Staff and Admin will be responsible for budgeting, fundraising, and other support work deemed necessary by the Belonging in STEM Steering Committee.
- Funding Requirements
- 1st year: $20k; 2nd year: $40k; 3rd year: $60k; 4th and following years: $80K
Mentorship Program Outline
- Current Offerings
- The Mentorship Program was rolled out in September of 2022 in partnership with Teton County School District #1, First in Family JH, and the Teton Literacy Center.
- Middle & High School TCSD AVID
- Wyoming Stargazing Staff have been offering STEM tutoring services to Middle School and High School AVID classrooms for the past year and a half.
- Summer Math and Credit Recovery Programs
- We offer one-on-one STEM tutoring services to students in the Summer 6th grade math and high school credit recovery programs.
- First in Family JH
- We offer one-on-one STEM tutoring services to First in Family JH students.
- Teton Literacy Center
- We offer one-on-one STEM tutoring services to Teton Literacy Center students. students.
- College Mentorship
- The College Mentorship Program will begin in the Fall of 2023 with the first round of Belonging in STEM Scholarship Recipients entering college at the University of Wyoming.
- Funding Requirements
- 1st year: $75k; 2nd year: $100k; 3rd year: $150k; 4th and following years: $200k
- Middle & High School TCSD AVID
- The Mentorship Program was rolled out in September of 2022 in partnership with Teton County School District #1, First in Family JH, and the Teton Literacy Center.
Steering Committee Responsibilities
- Ensure the integrity, responsibility, and transparency of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion in STEM Scholarship and Mentorship Initiative to support deserving local youth.
- Meet in-person or via Zoom as a complete advisory board on a quarterly basis and on a monthly basis during application times (February - May).
- Provide guidance on Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion best practices
- Articulate mission and goals of the program with non colonial language
- Review and make recommendations for the mentorship program
- Adopt unconscious bias and other related trainings for Advisory Board
- Evaluate and adopt cultural inclusive application processes, scholarship description, etc. (Define a pathway to success)
- Define eligibility criteria for application
- Define scholarships requirements for application & 4-yr requirements
- Create scholarship scoring rubric
- Essays? Creative Identity Statement? Bilingual or non-English materials?
- Decide how to access financial need and balance that with merit
- Meet in-person or via Zoom as a complete advisory board on a quarterly basis and on a monthly basis during application times (February - May).
- Help to create a fun and safe space for Student Scholarship Applicants during the application process and for Student Recipients during the Mentorship program.
- Select Student Scholarship Recipients
- Review students’ standard written applications from the Fund for Public Education.
- Participate in 20-min interviews with each Student Candidate
- Participate in other TBD application activities (e.g. cell phone video)
- Make final decisions of Recipients
- Notify students and Fund for Public Education
Mentor Responsibilities
- Review and make recommendations for the Mentorship program
- Complete Mentorship training activities with other mentors
- Participate in creating online and in-person Mentorship Activities
- Participate in monthly Group Mentoring Activities
- Mentor one or more of the Student Grant Recipients throughout the school year
- Weekly monitoring of students’ progress on online mentoring platforms
- Monthly or biweekly 30-min. Zoom check-ins with one or more students
- Communicate student progress and any concerns to the Advisory Board.
- Participate in at least one 3-hr online or in-person Mentorship Activity for Student Recipients during the summer.
- Mentors are strongly encouraged to attend all Advisory Board meetings and to be Advisory Board members.
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