New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (New Mexico MESA)

Albuquerque, NM | 1996

The official biography below was current at the time of the award. See the organization's website for its latest information.

Established in 1982, the New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (New Mexico MESA) currently serves approximately 2,500 students in seven middle and high schools throughout the state, with 85 percent of the participants being underrepresented minorities and 59 percent being female. Mentoring is a critical component of the MESA success, which also includes: I. Weekly contact with advisors/teachers, tutoring, academic counseling, curriculum-based enrichment activities, leadership workshops, field trips, summer enrichment classes, career awareness speakers, scholarship opportunities, and academic competitions; II. A continual support system that increases students chances for success in higher education, because they have developed study, research and cooperative learning skills; III. Over the last three years, 88 percent of New Mexico MESA graduating seniors enrolling in two or four-year institutions and 71 percent of those having chosen mathematics, science, or engineering related majors; IV. Significant MESA impact upon the course offerings and enrollment for participating schools -- e.g. increase in the number of minorities enrolled in college intended mathematics and science course sequences; and V. Steady growth in the number of schools and school districts that have chosen to participate; school districts must contribute their own resources in this model of shared responsibility for financial and academic support; the NM State Legislature has provided a steady growth in funding over the past years.

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