Students of color, girls, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ have been historically, and continue to be, vastly underserved and underrepresented in STEM professions. The National STEM Honor Society (NSTEM) aims to foster real change by promoting Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).
Because we believe that learning thrives best in a diverse community, and that society benefits from the contributions of a diverse population, the National STEM Honor Society demonstrates this belief by implementing the follow:
Fostering Community – Recruits school communities with underrepresented and underserved students.
Equal Opportunities for LBIPOC Communities – Works to be anti-racist and to remove barriers and layers of disadvantage and injustice to Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (LBIPOC) communities.
Respect Towards LGBTQIA+ Identities – Condemns discriminatory action towards the LGBTQIA+ community and strives to create an open, supportive environment for people of all gender identifications and sexual orientations.
Religious Freedom – Promotes understanding and respect for people of all religions to have the freedom and comfort to express their faith.
Support for Disabilities – Guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Amendments.
Cultivating Respect and Understanding – Maintains a library of resources curated to include the work of people of different genders, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
Economic Equality – Encourages schools and students of all economic backgrounds to participate.
IDEA – Operates the entire NSTEM organization embracing all facets of IDEA with an international internship focused on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA)
National STEM Honor Society is committed to serving all students and educators regardless of their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability, age, nationality, and sexuality.
The National STEM Honor Society™ (NSTEM) is committed to providing community and connectivity to NSTEM members, Chapters, and the greater community. Our Chapters and Individual Global Membership platforms create communities where like-minded students can collaborate in the pursuit of shared STEM goals.
As schools continue to innovate with increasing online educational resources, students and teachers need authentic and educationally sound ways to strengthen their learning communities. NSTEM is an organization that can be utilized across educational platforms, bridging the gap between in-person and virtual learning environments by providing tailored resources for each setting.
COMMUNITY & CONNECTIVITY BENEFITS FOR NSTEM MEMBERS:
NSTEM school Chapters and the Individual Global Membership program create communities where like-minded students can meet and collaborate in the pursuit of shared goals. Students who excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have the opportunity to take their interests a step beyond the classroom in the extracurricular space which NSTEM offers. Since the cost of a chapter or membership is not prohibitive, NSTEM membership offers underserved youth, along with all others, access to an extracurricular activity that can help them in their quest for a STEM career.
COMMUNITY & CONNECTIVITY BENEFITS FOR NSTEM CLASSROOM TEACHERS:
NSTEM offers resources for both virtual and brick-and-mortar learning in schools. The agility of the NSTEM model allows teachers to utilize existing and well-known platforms within their schools, such as Google Classroom and Workbench. We offer a curated and indexed library of resources and a means for educators to be connected to a virtual community that can consult and share ideas with each other.
COMMUNITY & CONNECTIVITY BENEFITS FOR NSTEM CHAPTER SCHOOLS:
NSTEM membership options offer many opportunities for connectivity and community for brick and mortar and online schools . The projects engaged in by students bring visibility and added renown to the school; members often have the opportunity to work with local businesses involved in STEM work; each Chapter provides a small community within the larger school environment for students with similar interests; and the establishment of a Chapter provides a service to the larger community, particularly in underserved areas looking for quality afterschool activities for their children.
Our team at National STEM Honor Society™ embraces a Commitment to Environmental Sustainability as a cornerstone of the organization. We view environmental responsibility as a vital part of both operational excellence and educational principles.
Pursuing the Commitment to Environmental Sustainability aligns our work and employees with environmental stewardship, which is realized as follows:
Resource Library – NSTEM™ is committed to continually updating and adding exclusive environmental and sustainable resources for Chapter members found in the Resource Library
Projects – NSTEM provides a comprehensive project library highlighting environmental challenges and sustainable practices.
Donations -1% of gross income is donated to international organizations that support our commitment to the environment and sustainability.
Store – Our Store merchandise is purposely limited and focused on sustainable products.
Paper Consumption & Sustainable Sourcing– NSTEM is committed to eliminating paper by conducting all internal operations, chapter communications, reporting, and resources digitally. Additionally all NSTEM paper and cardstock is 100% made in the USA and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified.
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) – NSTEM embraces the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and works to promote and incorporate them within the communities we serve locally and globally.
Website Development and Design – NSTEM’s website is hosted by Green Geeks and the developer smallfish design is local and embraces sustainability in their practices and operations.
Green Cleaning – Our main office uses 100% green cleaning products.
Sustainable Purchasing – NSTEM’s sustainable purchasing policy guides us to acquire goods and services and select the products based on their social and environmental impact.
Minimal Waste Strategies – NSTEM engages in multiple strategies to minimize waste in all departments and all levels of the organization.
Renewable Energy Office – NSTEM is committed to consuming 100% renewable energy for our main office.
Virtual Employees – NSTEM and our partner fully embrace virtual work and encourage our local, regional, and international team members to work remotely.
