Washington State STEM Education Foundation

What Washington State STEM Education Foundation does

Washington State STEM Education Foundation (d/b/a The STEM Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 and headquartered in Richland, Washington. It operates as a regional convening organization in the Mid-Columbia/Tri-Cities area, coordinating business, K-12, higher education, government, and labor stakeholders to address the regional STEM talent gap. Its core offerings are the STEM Like ME!® suite of in-classroom programs (Explore, School-Based Internship, Empower, Design) plus Grants for Teachers, the Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative targeting underrepresented rural students, and two state-level designations as a Career Connect Washington Regional Network (one of nine) and a Mid-Columbia STEM Network (one of 11 Washington STEM-led networks). The foundation also designed, funded, and built Delta High School, the only STEM high school in eastern Washington.

The foundation's underlying "technology" is a turnkey program delivery platform: a seven-person staff manages volunteer recruiting, training, background checks, scheduling, and curriculum delivery into partner schools, lowering friction for districts and employers. The registered STEM Like ME!® trademark and state-level best-practice recognition (2016 Governor's Summit at Microsoft) anchor the curriculum asset. Distribution occurs via direct school partnerships, coordination with Educational Service District 123, and employer collaborations with Hanford contractors, Bechtel, Battelle/PNNL, and WSU Tri-Cities.

The foundation's revenue model is grant-funded and donation-based rather than commercial: it reports more than $18 million in cumulative external investment since 2008, with approximately 76% sourced from outside the Mid-Columbia region. Programs are delivered free to schools and students. Documented capital sources include a $1.2M Battelle grant (2009), a $1M Battelle grant (2020), a ~$500K Career Connect Washington pass-through (2021), and a $125K Washington Student Achievement Council planning grant (2023), supplemented by individual and corporate donations, in-kind contributions, and United Way designations. The foundation does not disclose traditional revenue figures and operates at a small scale relative to its regional footprint.

Name

Washington State STEM Education Foundation

Legal name

Washington State STEM Education Foundation

Website

https://washingtonstemeducation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The STEM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 in Richland, Washington, delivering free STEM career-connected learning programs to K-12 students across 23 southeastern Washington school districts through the trademarked STEM Like ME!® suite and the Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative, funded by grants and regional employer partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Career Connected Learning Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM Teacher Tools, Curriculum & Lesson Planning Platforms (EDAFANAK), STEM/STEAM-Focused Private K–12 Schools (EDAJABAM)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Career connected learning
• K-12 STEM outreach
• Workforce development initiatives
• Education nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Richland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The foundation receives grant funding from government agencies and organizations. Approximately 76 percent of funding for operations and programs comes from outside the region. Since 2008, more than $18 million in investments have been attracted to the region.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Accepts check donations, in-kind donations (services, office supplies, equipment, gifts), and United Way designated donations. Various sponsorship levels from Visionary Sponsor to Copper Sponsor and Friend categories.
3. Battelle Foundation Grants: Battelle, a founding member, provided a $1 million grant in 2020 for STEM Nexus and $1.2 million in 2009 for Delta operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The STEM Foundation delivers free, turnkey STEM education and career connected learning programs to K-12 schools and students in southeastern Washington. Its flagship offerings are the STEM Like ME!® suite (Explore, School-Based Internship, Empower, Design, plus Grants for Teachers) and the Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative, complemented by its role as a Career Connect Washington Regional Network hub and a Washington STEM regional network serving 23 school districts.

Product overview

Washington State STEM Education Foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected STEM education programs and initiatives. The core offerings include the STEM Like ME!® suite of four in-classroom programs (Explore, School-Based Internship, Empower, and Design) plus a Grants for Teachers program, and the Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative launched via Battelle's $1 million donation. The Foundation also established Delta High School and manages regional networks (Career Connect Washington Regional Network and Mid-Columbia STEM Network) that coordinate STEM education across southeastern Washington. These programs work together to provide experiential learning, career connected pathways, and community collaboration for K-12 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STEM Like ME!®: Suite of school-based programs bringing STEM careers to life through interactions between STEM professionals and students. Includes Explore, School-Based Internship, Empower, Design programs, and Grants for Teachers. First piloted in 2014, has served more than 31,000 students state-wide.
• Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative

Products and services

• STEM Like ME!® Suite A suite of four in-classroom programs (Explore, School-Based Internship, Empower, and Design) plus the Grants for Teachers program, bringing STEM professionals into classrooms to spark student interest in STEM careers; first piloted in 2014 and has served more than 31,000 students statewide.
• STEM Like ME!® Explore Provides engaging small-group interactions between STEM professionals and K-12 students with hands-on activities and career path exploration as part of the STEM Like ME!® suite.
• STEM Like ME!® School-Based Internship Hybrid internship model coupling in-class activities with workplace visits and problem-based learning where students create solutions to real-world challenges, part of the STEM Like ME!® suite.
• STEM Like ME!® Empower Helps students identify personal strengths, interests, and personality traits impacting career selection through tools tied to their High School and Beyond Plan, as part of the STEM Like ME!® suite.
• STEM Like ME!® Design Introduces students to the engineering design process and career options through STEM professional interactions and design challenges, as part of the STEM Like ME!® suite; debuted in 2021.
• Grants for Teachers program Program offering innovative educators funding (up to $1,000 per grant) to support volunteer engagement and STEM-related career connected programming in their classrooms, with priority for underrepresented populations; debuted in 2016 and has supported 2,400 local students.
• Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative Multi-pronged, community-engaged approach launched in July 2020 with a $1 million Battelle donation to develop experiential learning programs for underrepresented and underserved students in rural communities of the Mid-Columbia region.
• Delta High School (STEM High School) STEM high school in Tri-Cities (the only such high school in eastern Washington) designed, funded, and built by The STEM Foundation, featuring a career connected learning system.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,000+ students served statewide through STEM Like ME!® programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Career Connect Washington (CCW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The state selected The STEM Foundation to serve as a Career Connect Washington Regional Network in 2019, one of nine CCW networks. Coordinates with Educational Service District 123 to expand program outreach beyond greater Tri-Cities to include 23 school districts in southeastern Washington.
• Washington STEMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe STEM Foundation functions as one of Washington STEM's 11 regional networks. Works with statewide nonprofit to share best practices and leverage resources. Washington STEM publishes annual STEM by the Numbers reports.
• Washington State University Tri-CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pathways to Hanford program helping students explore careers at Hanford. Also partner in co-op internship program with WRPS, supporting up to 10 students per year with full-time summer and flexible part-time school-year work.
• Columbia Basin College (CBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBC hosts Pathways to Hanford program for career exploration. Provided rent-free Richland campus as temporary Delta High School site. Hosts career exploration sessions for high school students including New Horizons and Kiona-Benton City High School.
• Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished a unique internship cooperative employment program with WSU Tri-Cities, recruiting and selecting up to 10 students per year. Students work full time for one summer and flexible part-time during school year, with intent to offer full-time employment after graduation.
• myTRI2030 Education CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative partners with myTRI2030 Education Council, comprised of 14 key community and STEM education leaders, to identify and support local STEM education initiatives especially in underserved and rural communities.
• Kiona-Benton City School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a $125,000 Washington Student Achievement Council planning grant to create a multi-generational approach to engaging Kiona-Benton City students and families in increasing credential attainment.
• Educational Service District 123 (ESD 123)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored workforce summit with The STEM Foundation. Coordinates with The STEM Foundation as Career Connect Washington Regional Network to expand program outreach to 23 school districts.
• Pasco, Kennewick and Richland School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to codify joint management of Delta High School in 2009. School boards collaborated to establish the region's first STEM high school.
• Delta High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe STEM Foundation designed, funded, and built Delta High School, the only STEM high school in eastern Washington. Created and staffed a career connected learning system within the school, sharing best practices across the region.
• Washington State Opportunity ScholarshipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe STEM Foundation supported awarding of $6 million in STEM scholarships to 263 area students through Washington State Opportunity Scholarships in 2015.
• VolunteersminorOthersSTEM professionals volunteer as mentors, host internships, coach science bowl teams, coordinate job shadows, and volunteer at special events to support STEM education programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Code.org: Nonprofit expanding K-12 access to computer science education through school partnerships, teacher training, and volunteer engagement. Comparable as a nonprofit focused on K-12 STEM/tech pathways with a state-network advocacy layer.
• Project Lead the Way: National nonprofit providing STEM curriculum and teacher training for K-12 schools. Comparable as a peer nonprofit delivering turnkey STEM programming through school partnerships, with similar volunteer/educator engagement models.
• MIND Research Institute: Nonprofit delivering K-12 math and STEM instructional programs to schools and districts through a turnkey model. Comparable for its free-to-school delivery, focus on underserved students, and emphasis on measurable learning outcomes.
• FIRST: Nonprofit running K-12 robotics and STEM competition programs with regional networks and employer sponsorships. Comparable structure: nonprofit, K-12 STEM engagement, employer-backed volunteer model, and event-driven delivery.
• Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES): STEM education nonprofit focused on school design, teacher development, and STEM program implementation. Comparable in mission around building K-12 STEM infrastructure and supporting districts through curriculum and partnership models.
• Washington STEM: Statewide STEM education nonprofit that operates the network of 11 regional STEM hubs, of which The STEM Foundation is the Mid-Columbia node. Directly comparable in mission (STEM education advocacy), network model, and K-12/career-connected-learning focus.

Emerging players

• Iridescent: STEM education nonprofit that engages STEM professionals as role models/mentors for underserved youth. Highly comparable mechanic to STEM Like ME!® (volunteer-driven, in-school, career exposure) but operates more broadly and with a national footprint.

Regional players

• Pacific Science Center: Regional nonprofit science-education organization in Washington State serving K-12 students and educators with hands-on STEM programs. Comparable in mission, geographic region, and free/subsidized delivery to schools, but with a facility-based rather than school-embedded model.

Broad incumbents

• National Science Teaching Association (NSTA): National nonprofit serving K-12 STEM educators through professional development, curriculum, and advocacy. Comparable as a STEM-education nonprofit, though operating at a national advocacy/professional-development layer rather than regional direct program delivery.
• Career Connect Washington: Statewide initiative coordinating the nine regional career-connected-learning hubs, of which the foundation is one. Comparable as the parent/statewide system, though it operates at a policy/coordination level rather than direct program delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSTEMFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-washington-state-stem-education-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Washington State STEM Education Foundation