About Us

Letter from the CEO and Board President

Over the past several years, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Foundation, currently in its 14th year, has made great strides in working to better serve Northern New Mexico by Helping our Children Learn, Nurturing their Dreams, and Strengthening our Communities.

Helping Our Children Learn

The Inquiry Science Education Consortium (ISEC) began in 2010 and boasts Santa Fe, Española, Mesa Vista, Peñasco, and Pojoaque school districts as members. Under the direction of Dr. Rick Scott, ISEC shows promise by getting results by improving science knowledge among both students and teachers through research-based classroom learning and professional development. ISEC also features Science Literacy Coaches (SLCs) who are hired by each district to assist participating teachers and students with the curriculum. In the coming years, it is our fervent hope that ISEC will expand to encompass the entire region.

We are also happy to report that in 2009 and 2010, the LANL Foundation’s Educational Enrichment and Educational Outreach spending totaled $6.5 million. Additionally, 98% of the grants made in 2010 went to benefit organizations that provide assistance to students and schools in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Nurturing Their Dreams

The Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund (LAESF) continues to be one of the Foundation’s top priorities, since there few things more important than helping determined young people reach their dreams and pay for higher education. Indeed, the number of students receiving scholarships increases as the fund itself grows. In 2009, 51 students were awarded 57 scholarships totaling $314,500, and in 2010, 55 students were awarded 61 scholarships totaling $331,000. Since LAESF’s inception, donations to the fund have risen from $78,870 in 1998 to $267,000 in 2010—an increase in giving that is truly helping future college graduates. The 575 scholarships awarded to date have touched the lives of many students from the seven counties of Northern New Mexico—each of them unique, each looking to further their education in different ways.

Strengthening Our Communities

It is with great pride that we report on initiatives that support local communities. One of the most important and meaningful community projects that we fund—in conjunction with seven other organizations—is the First Born Program (FBP), which provides free home-visitation services to women who are pregnant for the first time as well as first-time families in its service areas. The program, first created in 1997 by Vicki Johnson, is driven by a core belief that a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby are integral to the long-term health and success of the community at large. The Foundation’s and FBP’s model has inspired three replication programs in Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos Counties.

As we move toward the future and the LANL Foundation’s 15th year, our mission still holds true, and our service to the community is unwavering and ever-expanding. On behalf of the LANL Foundation Board of Directors and staff, we thank you for your continued support and look forward to a deepening partnership in the future, strengthened by a mutual commitment to making New Mexico a better place for our children and for each other.

Sincerely,