STEM Expo Sparks Enthusiasm on the Home Field for Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

A STEM Expo was held on April 23 at the Riverwalk Community Center, organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Committee and SIMCO. The event featured a number of tables manned by friendly, knowledgeable volunteers who were there to guide kids and their families through the activities, informative demonstrations, and marketing tchotchkes being given away.

For Doug Weaver, a volunteer at the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Expo, the most striking takeaway was the genuine excitement radiating from the young attendees. “I think the enthusiasm all these kids have for science and the STEM subjects is quite incredible,” Weaver said. His sentiment speaks directly to the core mission of such efforts: catching children early and fueling that natural curiosity before societal or economic barriers dim it.

That is precisely why major research institutions invest time in Carlsbad. Dale Bowman, representing Sandia National Laboratories, explained that the lab’s participation goes beyond simple public relations. “We’ve done a lot of scientific work, and it’s important that the community understands that we’re here,” Bowman said. “It’s important to us that the youth understand science, get a glimpse of it, and see where it can lead in the future—that it can lead to careers even in their own hometown in Carlsbad.”

That reach takes many forms, from high-tech demonstrations to practical lessons on environmental stewardship. Chammi Miller, who works with LATA supporting the WIPP program, ran a table focused on recycling and waste isolation. “With this STEM event, I think we can actually influence our kids to get into this STEM area by showing them what they can actually do,” Miller said.

Her table featured hands-on learning, inviting children to sort different kinds of waste to understand how recycling saves energy and how programs like WIPP safely isolate radioactive material from the environment. “It could be anything from the mining industry to WIPP or oil and gas,” she added. “We are all just showing up so kids can see what they can do to contribute to the country.”

Trey Castaneda of CNB Bank explained that his company’s role—providing giveaway items and helping to serve lunch—was about demonstrating community commitment. “It’s important for us just to get out into the community and do these free events for people,” Castaneda said.

According to international assessments like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the US consistently ranks in the middle tier, not the top, in STEM. In recent PISA results, US 15-year-olds scored around 18th to 20th in science and below the OECD average in mathematics, placing the country behind leaders such as Singapore, Japan, Finland, Canada, and South Korea. So, it should come as no surprise that, at the university level, many of the most technical, high-demand graduate and PhD programs are conferring degrees to foreign students more than US citizens.

The US does excel in producing elite STEM talent at the university level, though, with world-leading research institutions and graduate programs. A snapshot of the current educational landscape as it relates to STEM reflects deep inequalities. Wealthy school districts offer rigorous STEM tracks, while under-resourced schools lag severely.

Although America remains a global innovation powerhouse, its average STEM proficiency among young people ranks only mid-pack among developed countries. The picture that emerges exposes a critical vulnerability for future competitiveness.

What the STEM Expo in Carlsbad demonstrated is that when national laboratories, technical contractors, financial institutions, and schools converge on a community center with hands-on activities and genuine enthusiasm, they plant seeds that may one day grow into the next generation of American scientists and engineers.

And, as Weaver observed, watching a child’s face light up at the wonder of science makes the case that perhaps the most important STEM work isn’t just happening in laboratories, it’s happening at folding tables surrounded by kids in community centers.