About Us

TU Portal STEM

Our Partnership with Burroughs
Wellcome Fund (Bwf) & bASF

The North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals (NCSHP) received grant support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and BASF. These funds allowed our organization to increase interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) careers and positively impact career awareness and decision-making among Hispanic youth across North Carolina.

Through this collaboration, the NCSHP focused on increasing diversity and inclusive representation of Hispanic students in STEAM fields. Our efforts aimed to build a strong pipeline of Hispanic students engaged in STEAM education and preparing for future careers in these areas.

To achieve this, we implemented several culturally responsive strategies and activities, one of the most significant being the launch of the “Tu Portal STEM” portal on the NCSHP website. This platform was created to inspire and engage Hispanic students by connecting them to STEAM learning opportunities.

As part of our outreach, we provided students and their families with accessible information about local and statewide STEAM programs. These included:

Opportunities funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund through their Science Student Enrichment Program
In-school, afterschool, and summer STEAM programs
Support for navigating the NC STEM Center website (ncstemcenter.org), with a focus on resources for Spanish-speaking parents.

In addition, we launched a STEM Spanish Hotline hosted at the NCSHP headquarters, offering direct assistance and information in Spanish to support families navigating STEAM-related resources.

Through these initiatives, we successfully empowered Hispanic youth with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to explore, engage, and thrive in STEAM education and careers.

“For over 20 years, BWF has provided support for STEM enrichment through grant programming to non-profit organizations across the state. We have high hopes that this strategic diversity initiative will have an impact by increasing STEM programming exposure, engagement, and enrollment among Hispanic youth in NC”

Alfred Mays, BWF Program Officer

“The NCSHP is very grateful to BWF for awarding this important grant to our organization. This partnership will allow us to bring to the Hispanic students and their parents information and tools they need to think on STEM fields as future careers of their choice. Thinking out-of- the box regarding typical outreach efforts, our plan is to bring this information to Hispanic students and their parents wherever they are, including community festivals and fairs, educational conferences, and outreach events.”

Marco Zárate, Former President and Co-founder of the NCSHP

NCSHP is honored to partner with Duke Energy Foundation and their support to the TuPortalSTEM initiative in late 2019

Hispanics in Stem

STEM Occupations Are Growing Rapidly
Between 2023 and 2033, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 10.4%, significantly outpacing the 4.0% growth rate for all occupations. idtech.com
Hispanic Representation in STEM
Hispanic or Latino individuals make up 15% of the U.S. STEM workforce, which is slightly below their 18% share of the total U.S. workforce. ncses.nsf.gov
Projected STEM Worker Shortage
The U.S. is projected to face a shortage of approximately 1.1 million STEM workers by 2024, highlighting the growing demand for skilled professionals in these fields. americanactionforum.org

Experience STEM
- Enroll in STEM summer or after-school programs.
- Participate in robotics competitions or attend local STEM workshops.
Volunteer in Your Community
- Engage with local museums, parks, or consider summer internships to gain exposure to various STEM careers.
Prepare for College
- Focus on excelling in math and science courses.
- Take challenging classes to build a strong academic foundation.
- Remember that your SAT and ACT scores will play a crucial role in college admissions.

Did you know?

Steps to Prepare for a Future Stem Carrer

“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks a real advance in science.”

Albert Einstein

What is STEM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. While these fields can be studied individually, STEM is most often used to describe an integrated approach to education, where these disciplines are connected and applied together in meaningful, real-world ways. STEM education is a growing movement—not only in the United States but across the globe.

Why is STEM Important?

We live in a world shaped by smart technologies and digital communication. From smartphones to social media, technology touches nearly every part of our lives. As our homes, schools, and workplaces become more intertwined with tech, STEM knowledge and skills have become essential for everyone, not just for scientists or engineers.

Everyday tasks like troubleshooting a computer, designing a flyer, or building a website all involve STEM skills. These once-specialized abilities are now part of the basic toolkit for today’s students and workers.

“In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.”
— National Science Foundation

The Goal of STEM Education

STEM-focused programs are designed to:

Increase student interest in higher education and careers in STEM fields
Foster creative problem-solving and critical thinking
Equip students with the tools they need to thrive in a technology-driven world

By encouraging exploration and innovation across disciplines, STEM education helps prepare students not just for today’s jobs—but for the future.

What is the NC STEM CENTER?

The NC STEM Center is a statewide online portal dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in North Carolina. It's a valuable tool for students, families, and educators to:

Learn about the importance of STEAM (STEM + Arts) education
Discover high-quality programs and resources shared by organizations across the state
Connect with opportunities tailored to your location and interests

Through its user-friendly platform, the NC STEM Center helps make STEM education more accessible, engaging, and relevant to all North Carolinians.

Why Use the NC STEM Center?

The NC STEM Center offers a centralized hub of STEM resources and programs, so you don’t have to spend hours searching multiple sites. Its searchable program database allows you to:

Filter by topic, age group, or location
Discover local programs that match your interests
Plan with information on in-school, after-school, and summer opportunities

🖱️ Example: If you're in Durham County and interested in computer science, just enter your zip code and select "computer science" to find relevant local programs.

🔗 Explore programs now: NC STEM Program