New STEAM Education Center Opens in Rio Rancho

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), along with R4 Creating and the Encantado Foundation, opened a new STEAM Center of Excellence in Rio Rancho this week. The center will provide area youth with state-of-the-art STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) educational products and technology. By 2024, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation will have installed over 300 STEM Centers in 20 states.

“This center will help meet a much-needed demand for resources in Rio Rancho,” said Joe Rossow, EVP, STEM & Outcome Measurements at the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. “We know that introducing these tools to students early on in their education can help them excel and help them expand their future career options.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the new center and included speakers as well as home-schooled children exploring the educational products and curriculum.

"R4 Creating has been working with New Mexico students for 18 years. Our partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation will enable us to take our work to more New Mexicans as we continue to increase the number of STEAM opportunities for our young people," said Dr. Shelly Gruenig, R4 Creating Founder & Executive Director. "This new STEAM Center will inspire lifelong curiosity and learning while we develop our future workforce."

Students attending the event interacted with STEAM products while some older students demonstrated activities that included robotics.

“It is an honor to be associated with the newest Cal Ripken, Sr. STEAM Center and to play a role in bringing this resource to our community. The Encantado Foundation's mission is to help strengthen our regional high-tech ecosystem and to create more hire-ready technologists in our region, but this work must start with our youngest learners,” said Jay Heneghan, Director of The Encantado Foundation. “This Center will help expose area kids to all that STEAM has to offer them in a fun and inviting space, hopefully planting a seed that will lead them into a tech career down the road.”