♪ MUSIC REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

HELLO, I'M LORENE MILLS, WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

OUR GUESTS TODAY ARE TWO EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN IN SCIENCE.

LEANNA MCCLURE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF STEM, S T E M, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH IN SANTA FE AND KATERI PENA, WHO IS AN INTERN AND A GRADUATE TWICE OVER, OF THE STEM PATHWAYS FOR GIRLS CONFERENCES.

SO YOU BRING IN A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, BOTH OF YOU, SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>LEANNA: THANK YOU.

>>LORENE: I'M HAVING YOU HERE BECAUSE ON OCTOBER 19TH, YOU'RE INVITING GIRLS BETWEEN THE 5TH AND 8TH GRADE TO COME TO A CONFERENCE AT THE SANTA FE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND IT'S CALLED STEM PATHWAYS FOR GIRLS.

PLEASE TELL US WHO YOU WANT TO COME, WHY YOU FOCUS ON THIS PARTICULAR AGE GROUP AND WHAT THEY'LL GET TO DO THERE.

>>LEANNA: SURE, OUR CONFERENCE AGAIN IS OCTOBER 19TH, AND IT'S GEARED TOWARDS FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE, FEMALE IDENTIFYING, NONBINARY AND NON-GENDER CONFORMING STUDENTS THROUGHOUT NEW MEXICO, PARTICULARLY NORTHERN NEW MEXICO.

AND SO, IT'S REALLY GEARED TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING DIFFERENT HANDS ON INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES IN STEM.

MAYBE THEY'VE DONE SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES IN CLASS AND THEY WANT TO LEARN MORE OR PERHAPS IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN CODING OR LEARN ABOUT HOW TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT TREES, RIGHT, SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOUNG WOMEN FROM ALL OVER THE STATE COME AND GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER AND SEE WHAT OUR COMMUNITY LIKE FOR THE FUTURE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A KEYNOTE SPEAKER WHO'S AN EXPERT, HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE BEING A WOMAN IN STEM.

AND THEN WE HAVE A SERIES OF THREE DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS THAT EVERY STUDENT GOES TO AND THEY GET TO DO AGAIN, HANDS ON ACTIVITIES, EVERYTHING FROM LOOKING AT STOP MOTION AND HOW TO USE IPADS TO MAKE VIDEOS, TO DOING SEARCH AND RESCUE SIMULATIONS, SO REALLY EXCITING.

THEN WE ALSO HAVE A STEAM AND COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIR AT THE END, INCORPORATING THE ART IN STEM, THERE'S DIFFERENT PRIZES AND DEMONSTRATIONS.

>>LORENE: GREAT.

WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO IS YOU DO A WORKSHOP ON SLIME, YOU KNOW, AND HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PARTICLE ACCELERATOR.

I MEAN, THESE ARE EXTRAORDINARILY WONDERFUL AND EMPOWERING THINGS FOR GIRLS.

SO, TALK TO ME, YOU MENTIONED WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEM AND STEAM AND THEN WHAT DREW YOU TO STEM?

>>LEANNA: SURE.

SO, STEAM IS MORE MULTIDISCIPLINARY, RIGHT, LOOKING AT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SUBJECT MATTERS AND MAKING IT MORE HOLISTIC, SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE BIOLOGIST IN SILO.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF YOU'RE REACHING A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD ALL THE DEVASTATING FIRES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO LOOK AT NATURAL RESOURCES AND INCORPORATE THAT INTO BIOLOGY.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN, HOW IS STORYTELLING WITH THAT AND THE CREATIVE ARTISTIC SIDE?

AND I THINK OFTEN TIMES, INCLUDING IN THE STATE, WE LOSE FUNDING FOR VERY VITAL PROGRAMS AND CURRICULUM SUPPORT, INCLUDING ART, SO TRYING TO BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE ABOUT WHAT DOES EDUCATION SUPPORT LOOK LIKE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY AND BRINGING ART AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO ENRICHED HERE WITH ALL DIFFERENT ARTISTIC EXPERTS, DIFFERENT RESOURCES, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE TO THIS STATE.

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

>>LEANNA: KATERI WANTS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW SHE GOT INTO STEM.

>>LORENE: YES.

TELL ME, NOW YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PROGRAM TWICE AND I LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM.

YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO OTHER YOUNG WOMEN AND TELL THEM WHAT THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM AND THE FUN.

>>KATERI: YEAH, DEFINITELY.

SO I WAS SUPER GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE FIRST CONFERENCE.

IT WAS WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12, I THINK, BUT I REMEMBER JUST BEING LIKE TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY, LIKE WITH THE AMOUNT OF KIDS AND OTHER GIRLS THAT WERE THERE AND ALSO SEEING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE, I REMEMBER, WAS THE CODING ONE WE DID AND THEN THERE WAS LIKE LEARNING WITH LASER TECHNOLOGY, ARCHITECTURE, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

THEN I TRIED IT AGAIN WHEN I WENT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THE SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL AND THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN TOO, BECAUSE THAT WAS AT THE SANTA FE COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT TIME AND I ENDED UP GOING THERE.

I'M ATTENDING NOW, I'M A FILM STUDENT AT THE SANTA FE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BUT THAT REALLY JUST OPENED ME UP TO, I GUESS JUST LIKE THE WHOLE WORLD, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WENT INTO HIGH SCHOOL.

SFCC DOES DUAL CREDIT CLASSES WITH THE INDIAN SCHOOL, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DID WAS A FILM PROGRAM, AND IT GOT ME INTO IT.

AND I DEFINITELY THINK STEM OF SANTA FE WAS A BIG PART OF THAT BECAUSE IT JUST GIVES YOU THE CONFIDENCE, I THINK MOSTLY AS A GIRL BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE AND YOU JUST KIND OF GOT TO PUT YOUR FOOT OUT THERE AND GO FIND IT, YOU KNOW?

>>LORENE: WELL, WE HAVE THIS STRUCTURE IN OUR CULTURE THAT IS MALE DOMINATED, ESPECIALLY IN SCIENCE, MATH, TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THAT.

THE PERCENTAGE OF FEMALES IN STEM IN 2021, ABOUT TWO THIRDS, 65% OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN STEM OCCUPATIONS WERE MEN, AND ONLY ONE THIRD WERE WOMEN.

THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT THAT THESE ARE HIGHLY PAID, STEM PAYS REALLY WELL AND AGAIN, WOMEN ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AND HELD BACK FROM THAT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS WHY WOMEN ARE DISCOURAGED IN STEM, THE GENDER, GENDER GAP HAS BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.

SOME PEOPLE SAY STEM IS STILL ASSOCIATED WITH MASCULINE QUALITIES, LEADING TO STEREOTYPES THAT CAN DISCOURAGE WOMEN AND GIRLS FROM GOING INTO STEM.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS ENCOURAGING GIRLS AND WOMEN TO GO INTO THIS FIELD, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS TO BREAK DOWN THE GENDER GAP?

>>LEANNA: SURE.

WELL, I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST, RIGHT, BUILDING COMMUNITY, SEEING THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE, GETTING EXPOSURE, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

GETTING EXPOSURE, SEEING WHAT IS POTENTIALLY OUT THERE FOR YOU AND MAYBE YOU THINK YOU REALLY WANT TO BE A PHYSICIST, BUT THEN YOU REALIZE, OKAY, I TRIED IT OUT, THAT'S NOT FOR ME, PERHAPS I WANT TO GO INTO A VERY SPECIFIC ASPECT OF ENGINEERING.

SO, I THINK JUST HAVING EXPOSURE AND POTENTIAL TO REALLY EXPLORE, RIGHT, AND IF YOU'RE WAITING UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL OR PERHAPS BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME.

I THINK PART OF WHAT'S SO EMPOWERING ABOUT THIS STEM PATHWAYS FOR GIRLS PROGRAM IS THAT IT BEGINS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN IT'S A REALLY CRITICAL TIME.

STATISTICS SHOW THAT'S WHEN WE LOSE OUR GIRLS THE MOST, AND BY HIGH SCHOOL IS OFTEN REALLY HARD TO CATCH UP.

SO HOW DO WE FIND THAT SUPPORT, HOW IS IT BEYOND THE CLASSROOM SETTING, BUT ALSO GETTING EXPOSURE TO FAMILIES, HOW DO THEY SEE WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR FUTURE MATRIARCHS.

>>LORENE: EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT.

AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT.

>>KATERI: YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, COMING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I MEAN, YES, I DO DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE THAT AGE RANGE SPECIFICALLY FOR ME TOO, WAS PROBABLY THE PERFECT TIME, BECAUSE IT WAS KIND OF AT THAT POINT WHERE EVERYBODY'S KIND OF TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU GOT TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT OR YOU GOT TO, YOU KNOW, PREPARE FOR THIS AND PREPARE FOR THAT.

YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO IS MORE LEANING TOWARDS THE CREATIVE ASPECT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, LEANNA TALKED ABOUT WITH ADDING THE ART LIKE INTO THIS THEME ASPECT.

I THINK THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, LIKE I WAS DISCOURAGED FROM GOING INTO THE STEM FIELDS, BECAUSE IT FELT, I GUESS, A LITTLE INTIMIDATING JUST BECAUSE, LIKE ME PERSONALLY, I WASN'T REALLY INTERESTED IN TECHNICALLY LIKE MATHEMATICS OR STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT I WAS SO INTERESTED IN FILM AND ALL OF THAT TECHNOLOGY, EDITING SOFTWARE, ALL OF THAT.

SO, BUT LEARNING THAT YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, COMBINE THE TWO, BEING ABLE TO COMBINE MY PASSION FOR CREATIVITY AND BEING A LITTLE MORE ARTISTIC WITH WHAT I WANT TO PUT OUT THERE, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO LEARN VERY USEFUL SKILLS THAT WILL PROBABLY HELP ME THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE CAREER.

>>LORENE: GREAT, GREAT.

IT'S LIKE A WELCOME MAT, THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

YOU'RE INVITING THESE GIRLS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS AT THAT AGE, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN FIFTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, THEY SAID, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO, I SAID, WELL, I LIKE TO READ.

I ENDED UP WITH THREE DEGREES IN LITERATURE, I COULD HAVE DONE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS HAD I, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DO COME FROM A FAMILY OF WOMEN SCIENTISTS.

BUT I GOT NAILED WITH READING, WHICH I STILL LIKE TO READ, CAN'T GO WRONG WITH READING, BUT IT'S REALLY, WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THESE WORKSHOPS IS OPENING DOORS AND PROVIDING GLIMPSES OF THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON THAT THESE PEOPLE WOULDN'T ORDINARILY SEE.

SO, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR THAT.

SO, WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL STEREOTYPES THAT DISCOURAGE, THAT TURN GIRLS AWAY FROM THIS AND HOW CAN WE CHANGE THEM?

>>LEANNA: WELL, I THINK IT STARTS WITH SEEING EXAMPLES, BEING ROLE MODELS AND CONSIDERING WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS.

I KNOW FOR ME PERSONALLY, I ALWAYS CONSIDERED MYSELF LIKE A HUMANITIES GAL, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO READ, I REALLY LOVE TO WRITE.

AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL, WORKING ON MY DISSERTATION REALLY, THAT I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I NEED TO HONE IN TO MY RESEARCH SKILLS AND IT'S REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.

BUT AGAIN, I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF THAT EXPOSURE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SCIENCES GROWING UP AND THROUGH MY EDUCATION.

SO, I HAD TO CONSIDER WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MYSELF AS AN EDUCATOR, RIGHT, HOW DO I FOSTER THAT DEVELOPMENT IN OUR YOUTH AND I THINK ALSO HAVING REALLY GOOD EDUCATORS IS SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE ALL THOSE EXPERTISE AND HELPING SUPPORT THAT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF MORE OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH, RIGHT, SO YOU'RE NOT JUST HAVING SPECIFIC CLASSES, BUT YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT WE DO, THE OUT OF SCHOOL SUPPORT.

SO YES, WE HAVE OUR YEARLY CONFERENCE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE MONTHLY WORKSHOPS TO BUILD ON AND REALLY PROVIDE A SCAFFOLDING EFFECT FOR SOME OF THESE INTERESTS AND SOME OF THESE SKILL SETS AND THEN WE HAVE A CULMINATING SUMMER CAMP FOR STEM PATHWAYS FOR GIRLS.

SO AGAIN, MAKING IT MORE A LONGITUDINAL APPROACH I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT AND NOT JUST HAVING THESE ONE-OFF PROGRAMS OR EVENTS.

>>LORENE: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT IS SO DELIGHTFUL, SO THERE MIGHT BE A STUDENT, A GIRL, WHO'S INTERESTED IN FLYING, AND YOU WOULD ACTUALLY THEN BRING A WOMAN PILOT, NOT THE STEWARDESS, BUT THE PILOT AND TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS POSSIBLE.

YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, STUDY THIS, YOU COULD DO THAT, YOU CAN BE EDUCATED, AND YOU CAN BE A PILOT, YOU CAN BE THE CAPTAIN BEHIND THE COCKPIT OF THE PLANE.

AND THAT'S JUST AMAZING AND EMPOWERING, I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL TO YOU.

OUR GUESTS TODAY ARE LEANNA MCCLURE, DIRECTOR OF STEM SANTA FE AND KATERI PENA, WHO IS AN INTERN AND TWICE GRADUATE AND SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE ABOUT THE WONDERS OF THESE PROGRAMS.

SO WE ARE WORKING ON BREAKING AWAY FROM THESE STEREOTYPES AND PROVIDING ROLE MODELS, CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME OTHER EXAMPLES BESIDES A WOMAN PILOT, WHERE YOU BROUGHT LIVING, PRACTICING WOMEN IN STEM TO SHOW THESE GIRLS MORE OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE?

>>LEANNA: YEAH, SO ONE THING THAT'S REALLY AMAZING, MY FORMER COLLEAGUE KATE SAUL AT THE SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL, SHE HAS A SCAFFOLD PROGRAM WITH US THAT'S REALLY AMAZING.

AND SHE DOES COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAMS, BUT SHE ALSO TEACHES, SHE'S TAUGHT THESE WORKSHOPS THAT ARE VERY FOCUSED ON TECHNOLOGY, HER DAUGHTER, RUBY, IS A SENIOR AT SANTA FE HIGH, AND SHE WAS ALSO AN ALUM OF OUR PROGRAM AND NOW SHE TEACHES A WORKSHOP.

SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT WHAT'S THE COHESIVE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THIS RIGHT, YES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE VERY SUCCESSFUL WOMEN IN STEM, BUT ALSO THE GIRLS THAT ARE CLOSER TO THEIR AGE AND TRYING TO BUILD THAT AND THAT'S WHY KATERI WAS MY STUDENT IN SIXTH GRADE, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO BRING HER ON AS THE INTERN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO TO BREAK THOSE BARRIERS, HAVING, YOU KNOW, PEER TO PEER AND CLOSE AGE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND FIGURING OUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, HOW DO I WANT TO FOSTER THAT.

LIKE KAT WAS SAYING, MAYBE IT'S NONTRADITIONAL, MAYBE WE REALLY WANT TO BE CREATIVE IN THE STEM, YOU KNOW, TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE.

AND I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES IT'S LIKE VERY, THERE'S A DICHOTOMY BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE, I JUST HAVE TO GO DOWN THIS PATH AND I THINK WE WANT TO SUPPORT IT MORE HOLISTICALLY.

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

>>KATERI: YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT CAN BE HARD, LIKE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE A YOUNG GIRL AND YOU'RE JUST STARTING OUT WITH THESE THINGS AND SAY YOU TAKE LIKE A STEM CLASS IN COLLEGE, AND YOU WALK IN AND YOUR PROFESSOR IS A MAN AND LIKE MOST OF YOUR CLASS ARE MEN, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT AUTOMATICALLY KIND OF FEELS A LITTLE INTIMIDATING, YOU KNOW, AND THAT CAN BE REALLY TOUGH, THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT IT'S NOT JUST LIKE WHAT YOU TO LIKE A ONE-OFF THING THAT WE DO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT BECAUSE HAVING YOUNG WOMEN BECOME EDUCATORS AND BECOME LIKE LEADERS AND BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT FIRSTHAND AND BEING ABLE TO GO BACK TO THAT AND FINDING MENTORS AND BASICALLY BUILDING A WHOLE COMMUNITY HERE IN NEW MEXICO.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR US TO FIND IT AS WOMEN.

>>LORENE: YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE GENDER GAP, THE STEREOTYPES, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A MAN SCIENTIST, THE LACK OF ROLE MODELS, THERE'S AN UNCONSCIOUS BIAS CULTURALLY IN AMERICAN CULTURE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT'S A MALE FIELD AND WE'RE CHANGING THAT.

AND ALSO, IN MANY CASES, WOMEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PRESSURES OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE.

SHE MAY HAVE A FAMILY AND THEN ONLY WORK PART TIME TO TAKE CARE OF HER FAMILY OBLIGATIONS, SO THAT PUTS HER A LITTLE BIT AT A DISADVANTAGE.

BUT THE STEREOTYPES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING AT CHANGING AND THE ROLE MODELS, I JUST LOVE THE AVIATION EXAMPLE.

THIS IS A WOMAN PILOT, AND THIS IS POSSIBLE TO SEE ALL THOSE AND FORTUNATELY IN MEDICINE THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD REPRESENTATION OF MALE AND FEMALE, BUT BETWEEN NURSES AND DOCTORS.

THE OTHER IS TO EMPOWER MORE WOMEN TO DEVELOP THIS PASSION, I THINK STEAM, USING THE ARTS IS REALLY, WAS A MAGICAL NEW ELEMENT TO PUT IN.

AND IT'S VERY, I THINK, IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL, BUT YOU'RE A FILM STUDENT, SO YOU ARE WORKING IN THE ARTS.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, FILM EDITING, FILMING, MY GOD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING IT NOW, ALL THE STUFF THAT GOES INTO PRODUCTION AND THEN CONTENT, TO PRODUCE CONTENT FEATURING WOMEN DOING ALL THESE TRADITIONALLY MALE JOBS.

SO, HOW'S THAT COMING?

>>KATERI: YEAH, IT'S HONESTLY BEEN REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE MOST OF MY FILM STUDENT, I GUESS HISTORY IS PRETTY RECENT AND IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING TO BECOME AN INTERN AT STEM SANTA FE BECAUSE ONE ASPECT THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON IS THE DIGITAL STORYTELLING PART OF STEM SANTA FE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE ALL OF THE STORIES OF JUST THESE YOUNG GIRLS, EVEN, YOU KNOW, GETTING EXPOSED TO THIS THING.

SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO DOCUMENT THESE THINGS, BEING ABLE TO SHOWCASE IT, AND WE'RE WORKING ON A POSSIBLE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT WHERE I COULD BE WRITING, BUT I THINK THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN MY PERSONAL TIME, I LIKE TO DO CREATIVE THINGS THAT WON'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, MAKE ME MONEY OR LIKE GET ME INTO, YOU KNOW, STEM LIKE CAREERS, BUT MORE FOR MY HAPPINESS, YOU KNOW?

BUT THEN THERE'S THE ASPECT OF WHERE I'M STILL LEARNING ALL OF THESE TECHNIQUES, I'M STILL LEARNING ALL OF THESE NEW INFORMATION TO LIKE PROGRESS AND THEN I CAN APPLY IT TO THINGS LIKE THIS TO, YOU KNOW, THIS STEM CONFERENCE, BEING AN INTERN, BEING ABLE TO, YEAH, DIGITAL STORYTELLING.

>>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH.

AND SO, YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY EVEN BE ABLE TO DO A DOCUMENTARY, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

>>KATERI: EXACTLY.

>>LORENE: AND THEN YOU COULD SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE FEATURE OF YOUR CONFERENCE IS ON THE WEEKEND, YOUR WEEKEND WORKSHOPS, BUT ALSO YOU CAN HAVE THEM PLAY IT IN VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND WHEN YOU CAN COME IN TO A SCHOOL AND HAVE A CLASSROOM AND I KNOW YOU AIM PRIMARILY FOR GIRLS AND BINARY AND NONTRADITIONAL GENDERED, BUT AND PERSONS OF COLOR, THERE'S SO MUCH, THE NEED IS SO GREAT YOU KNOW IT'S LIKE WATER IN THE DESERT YOU KNOW YOU ARE REALLY CHANGING LIVES BY WHAT YOU OFFER.

SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU WITH YOUR FILMMAKING TO GET THIS OUT MORE AND MORE AND MORE.

SO WHAT OTHER APPROACHES DO YOU HAVE TO ENTICE TO MAKE GIRLS OF THIS PARTICULAR AGE, BY THE WAY BETWEEN FIFTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, WHY IS THAT A TARGET GROUP?

>>LEANNA: AGAIN, SO WHAT I WAS ALLUDING TO A LITTLE EARLIER, RIGHT, THAT'S WHEN WE LOSE STEM, I THINK THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF SOCIAL PRESSURES, GIRLS ARE NOT ALWAYS VERY NICE TO ONE ANOTHER AT THAT AGE, AND THEY OFTEN DETRACT FROM LEARNING.

THERE'S SO MUCH DISENGAGEMENT AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO, ESPECIALLY NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MICROAGGRESSIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCES, IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD.

SO EVEN JUST LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ISSUES AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT LEARNING, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF TAKE AWAY FROM SOME OF THOSE A VERY SPECIFIC TIME AND PLACE WHERE ONLY THOSE STUDENTS ARE TOGETHER, AND THEY CAN REALLY LEARN AND ENGAGE.

ALSO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT REACHES THEM DURING THAT CRITICAL TIME, THERE'S A LOT MORE POSSIBILITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL TO BUILD ON THAT AND LIKE KATERI WAS SAYING, THEN YOU PERHAPS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO DUAL CREDIT AND TRY A DIFFERENT FIELD AFTERWARDS.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EXPOSURE EARLIER ON, HARD TO CATCH UP.

>>LORENE: RIGHT AND ALSO IT JUST IS NO LONGER IN THE DECK OF CARDS A POSSIBILITY BECAUSE NOBODY EVER SAID, HOW ABOUT THIS AND I JUST LOVE, YOU BRING LIKE IT IS A JOYOUS FUN CELEBRATION, AND I CAN JUST SEE MINDS SPARKING.

YOU KNOW.

THAT'S COOL SLIME, AND THEN TO BUILD YOUR OWN PARTICLE ACCELERATOR, THAT'S KIND OF HEADY STUFF, THAT'S REALLY EMPOWERING.

SO I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

HOW CAN OUR CULTURE SUPPORT THIS MORE, HOW CAN WE ELBOW THE MALE DOMINATED, THE STEREOTYPES THAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE MEN.

HOW CAN WE MODIFY THAT MORE BESIDES PROVIDING MORE ROLE MODELS AND THEN TALKING ABOUT IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND YOU WITH YOUR FILM WORK BUT ARE THERE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO SAY WE'RE CHANGING NOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.

>>LEANNA: I THINK IT REALLY STARTS WITH BEING A GOOD ALLY, RIGHT, AND UNDERSTANDING AT TIMES THERE MIGHT BE SHIFTS IN POWER AND THAT'S OKAY.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE TO COME FROM A MINDSET OF SCARCITY, RIGHT, THERE'S SO MUCH POSSIBILITY, THERE'S SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY.

AND HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER AND STRENGTHEN ONE ANOTHER'S SCOPE OF WORK.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A COMPETITION, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A COMPETITION.

SOMETHING THAT MY GRANDPA ALWAYS TAUGHT ME IS WHEN YOU'RE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION OR POSITION AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WORTHY, YOU DECIDE IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO, IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO.

SO IT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, WALKING INTO A VERY DIFFICULT CLASSROOM AND BEING THE ONLY ONE THERE, SOMETIMES YOU'RE DOING THAT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AS WELL, SOMETIMES YOU'RE EVEN DOING IT FOR THE OTHER FEMALES IN YOUR LINEAGE WHO DIDN'T HAVE THOSE SAME POSSIBILITIES.

I KNOW MY GREAT GRANDMA ON THE OTHER SIDE, SHE WASN'T ABLE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND SHE GRADUATED AT 77.

>>LORENE: NOW THAT'S AN EXAMPLE.

THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

>>LEANNA: IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO CONCEPTUALIZE NOT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EVEN GO TO COLLEGE, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GROUNDWORK, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN THIS STATE AND HOW DO WE LIVE UP AND HONOR ALL OF THAT.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

ANDTOLSTOY'S QUESTION WAS IF NOT ME, WHO AND IF NOT NOW, WHEN.

AND THIS IS NOW AND IT'S US, IT'S YOU GUYS, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

WE JUST HAVE A MINUTE LEFT, I'D LIKE YOU TO KIND OF SUM UP WHAT YOU NEED OUR AUDIENCE TO LEARN FROM TODAY'S SHOW ABOUT STEM AND STEAM.

YOU WANT TO TAKE IT FIRST?

>>KATERI: WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT OCTOBER 19TH, THIS CONFERENCE WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT AND THERE'S A LOT MORE TO COME, DEFINITELY.

>>LORENE: HOW CAN THEY FIND OUT MORE?

>>KATERI: GO TO WWW.STEMSANTAFE.ORG WE HAVE A WEBSITE THERE WHERE YOU CAN REGISTER TO GO AND JOIN THE CONFERENCE, YOU PROBABLY KNOW MORE THAN ME.

>>LEANNA: YEAH.

SO AGAIN, WWW.STEMSANTAFE.ORG >>LORENE: STEM IS CAPS, DOESN'T MATTER.

>>LEANNA: FOR THE WEBSITE DOESN'T MATTER.

WE'RE ALSO ALWAYS OPEN TO DONATIONS, WE REALLY NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND INTO THE SUMMER AND ESPECIALLY EXPERTS IN STEM, RIGHT, WHO CAN HELP EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH YOUTH, WE CAN WORK ON HELPING YOU HONE THAT IN AND SUPPORTING YOU IN THAT WAY.

BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK, WE'RE HAVING INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS INITIATIVE, WE'RE WORKING IN SHIPROCK AND THEN IN SOME OF THE NORTHERN PUEBLOS.

SO LIKE KATERI SAID, A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS TO COME, AND WE'RE JUST GLAD THAT YOU HAD US ON THE SHOW TO SHARE A GLIMPSE OF EVERYTHING WE'RE WORKING ON.

>>LORENE: ABSOLUTELY.

AND I KNOW THAT THIS WILL FALL INTO THE MIND OF SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO INVITE TO JOIN YOU AND EXPLORE THIS EXCITING, WONDERFUL WORLD.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU.

OUR GUESTS TODAY ARE LEANNA MCCLURE, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF STEM SANTA FE, AND KATERI PENA, DID I SAY THAT RIGHT, AN INTERN, BUT TWICE OVER GRADUATED THIS PROGRAM.

AND I LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR REMINDING PEOPLE THAT THIS IS A POSSIBILITY AND IT COULD BE SO ENRICHING.

SO I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING ME AND I HOPE THIS FALLS ON THE RIGHT EARS OUT THERE.

I'M LORENE MILLS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

♪ MUSIC