• In the fourth year of the Regional Partnership School program with partners Pojoaque Valley School District and New Mexico Highlands University:
  • In-class support by LANL Math & Science Academy (MSA) team
  • Professional development program for teachers and principals received a $40,000 grant from the LANL Foundation to offer sessions throughout the year and during the summer, and provide support for teachers as they apply their new skills and practices in the classroom
  • New afterschool math program recruited five high school students to work with four Pojoaque Valley Intermediate School teachers and education specialists from the MSA to provide extra math instruction for 30 fourth- and fifth- grade students.
  • Virtual Mindset Math Summer Camp for 36 students in grades 6th-9th
• Six Northern New Mexico teachers comprised the first-ever cohort to graduate with the new Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership with an Emphasis in K-8 Mathematics Teacher Leadership from New Mexico Highlands University, a collaboration between the teachers, the University, and the Laboratory’s MSA program.
• Bradbury Science Museum’s educators brought creative hands-on activities for more than 400 kindergarten through sixth-grade students at six Española district elementary schools under the Bradbury Science Museum’s Summer Science on Wheels program
• 200 LANL employees provided 2,342 service hours to nonprofit and educational organizations in Northern NM, impacting an estimated 2,620 students, teachers and community members
• Lab employees Nicole Lloyd-Ronning and Mark Galassi, who have devoted much of their free time to STEM education programs for students from underserved communities in Northern New Mexico, were named as the first winners of the Los Alamos Community Relations Medal. Galassi was also named one of the ‘10 Who Made a Difference’ for 2021 by the Santa Fe New Mexican.
• Free two-week virtual Summer Physics Camp for Young Women for 40 high-schoolers from schools in the region and in Hawaii
• The Los Alamos Employees Scholarship Fund awarded $811,750 in scholarships in 2021

• New pipeline programs address critical skills for a growing workforce:
  • There are now 8 formal partnerships in places with regional colleges and high schools for workforce development pipeline programs
  • The Laboratory, the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) and the UNM School of Engineering collaborated to expand an existing two-year pre-engineering program into a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering (BSME) program on the UNM-LA campus.
• Hosted an online community conversation attended by over 100 community leaders on the importance of developing the skilled trades in the region, featuring Laboratory Director Thom Mason and a panel of union and education experts.
• The New Mexico Small Business Assistance program assisted 110 for-profit businesses in New Mexico with access to subject matter experts and cutting-edge technologies at Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories to solve technical challenges, attracting $25 million in new financing, and creating or retaining 501 jobs.
• The Laboratory spent $505 million on procurement in New Mexico in the 2021 fiscal year, including $408 million with New Mexico small businesses

• Employees donated:
  • $2.7 million to nonprofit organizations in the 2021 employee giving campaign
  • more than $370,000 to the Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund (LAESF), including more than $70,000 in new pledges and gifts, to provide scholarships for students from Northern New Mexico
  • 1,276 gifts kits for young people and senior citizens in need, and 1,000 winter clothing sets to shelters serving people facing homelessness or domestic violence, and young adults transitioning from foster care to independent living
  • more than 700 backpacks with school supplies to schools and regional partners with a particular focus on five rural school districts. Backpacks and supplies were purchased from a local business
•  A new Community Technical Assistance program allowed nonprofit, tribal, and non-Federal government entities in Northern New Mexico to access the unique expertise and capabilities of the Laboratory on a variety of technical challenges at no cost to the organizations. Among the first projects was a data sprint in which LANL data scientists partnered with Northern New Mexico College and Santa Fe Community College to investigate student retention rates and risk factors at those institutions.
• The Laboratory organized 12 blood drives with 393 donors giving 469 units of blood, enough to save 1407 lives
• Hosted a Community Conversation online event for more than 90 regional nonprofit leaders outlining new ways the Laboratory can assist nonprofits, and offering an expert-led session on running successful volunteer programs
• A virtual Food Drive received donations of $41,724 for the Food Depot which equates to 166,894 meals provided to tackle food insecurity in the region
• New Time & Talent program launched, under which employees who track their volunteer time with Northern New Mexico nonprofits make those nonprofits eligible to enter a draw for a $500 grant from LANL operator Triad

 

SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION

Triad made grants totaling $819,857 to 25 education nonprofits and organizations supporting education programs and initiatives across Northern New Mexico.

Triad’s investment in the LANL Foundation supported a range of initiatives with the aim of fostering 21st Century learning opportunities, leveraging the LANL Foundation’s work to expand their collective impact in four areas: K-12 STEM education, expanding college career and community pathways; preparing and supporting teachers, and supporting LANL Scholars. Initiatives include:

• Monthly STEAM Partnership meetings held with educators and innovators from throughout the region
• Maintaining the NM STEAMHub website, social media and newsletter to identify and disseminate STEM resources in the region, including early childhood and connectivity resources.
• Co-developing a regional research report and plan to expand work-based learning opportunities in north- central New Mexico along with five higher education institutions
• Organizing the inaugural meeting of the Northern New Mexico Coalition for Work-Based Learning, a cross-sector partnership intended to guide action on the report’s recommendations.
• Preparing and supporting teachers in Northern New Mexico by expanding the current National Board Certification (NBC) training programs
• Preparing and supporting teachers in Northern New Mexico by expanding the current National Board Certification (NBC) training programs
• Launching the Growing Our Own Native Teachers and Counselors pilot project to create tailored campaigns to interest Native students in pursuing a career as a teacher or counselor

 

SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSITY

Triad’s investment in the Regional Development Corporation helped the regional economy in this particularly challenging time:

• 207 visits or coaching sessions provided to local entrepreneurs offering free individualized support to identify resources to help their businesses grow
• 48 regional businesses were awarded an average of $1,165 in Micro-Grant Fund grants to acquire services or equipment needed for growth.  
• Seven regional businesses were awarded no-interest loans through the Technology and Manufacturing (TEAM) Fund to assist with the cost of patent applications, equipment to increase production and efficiency, product packaging design and development, and ISO-9000 certification
• Six tribal member-owned businesses from three Northern New Mexico pueblos were awarded grants averaging $5,700 through the Tribal Economic Diversity Fund
• Partnerships with six regional institutions of higher education continued throughout 2021. UNM-Taos, UNM-Los Alamos, Luna Community College, New Mexico Highlands University, Northern New Mexico College, and Santa Fe Community College received funding for workforce training and education programs tailored to the region’s needs.

 

SUPPORT FOR NONPROFITS

Magnified the generosity of Laboratory employees by providing a $0.50 on the dollar match for employee contributions to qualified charitable organizations in Northern New Mexico.

Triad’s support for United Way of Northern New Mexico allowed it to continue its multiyear plan to strengthen the nonprofit sector through capacity building and collaborations, and support youth empowerment:

• Conducted four in-depth nonprofit training workshops in collaboration with Los Alamos Community Foundation 
• Convened meetings of the UNITE! nonprofit partners to develop a public awareness campaign  to better connect local citizens to needed services, and foster partnerships, collaboration, and strengthen connections among nonprofit partners
• Developed an online directory of the nonprofit agencies providing vital services to Rio Arriba residents including medical and behavioral health care, food and housing security programs, and parent supports
• Helped launch an essential needs pantry at Española Valley High School to support at-risk students
• Organized youth focus groups to discuss young peoples’ perspectives on regional community organizations, access to services or activities for youth, and opportunities for youth mentorships or internships

 

SUPPORT FOR NONPROFITS

Education
AAUW NM	Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation
APS Education Foundation	Los Alamos Women in Science
Climate Advocates Voces Unidas	Mentoring Kids Works New Mexico
Collins Lake Autism Center	New Mexico Mesa
Community Learning Network	Northern New Mexico College Foundation
Friends of the Española Public Library	Pojoaque Valley Schools Educational Foundation
Friends of the Santa Fe National Forest	Pojoaque Valley School District
Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library	Santa Fe Alliance for Science
Ignited Minds	Santa Fe Community College Foundation
Inquiry Facilitators	Santa Fe Children’s Museum
Los Alamos Institutes	STEM Santa Fe
Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation

 

Economic Diversity
American Indian Chamber of Commerce of NM	Regional Development Corporation
College and Career Plaza	Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
Española Valley Chamber of Commerce	Santa Fe Business Incubator
Future Focus Education	Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation	Santa Fe Community Foundation
Los Alamos Institutes	Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Los Alamos Makers	Silver Bullet Productions
Luna Community College Foundation	STEM Santa Fe
MANA del Norte	Taos Community Foundation
Mora County Economic Development Corporation	Taos County Chamber of Commerce
New Mexico Highlands Foundation	UNM Los Alamos
New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Business Alliance	UNM Taos
Northern New Mexico College Foundation	Youthworks
R4 Creating

 

Community Giving
Triad match to regional nonprofits	Los Alamos Family Council
Barrios Unidos	Los Alamos Institutes
Bicycle Harvest	Los Alamos Retired & Senior Organization
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico	Luciente
Court Appointed Special Advocates First Judicial District	Mesa to Mesa
Bradbury Science Museum Association	Moving Arts Espanola
Cancer Foundation for New Mexico	National Dance Institute of New Mexico
DreamTree Project	New Mexico Wildlife Center
EnSuenos Y Los Angelitos Development Center	Rio Arriba Adult Literacy Program
Family YMCA	Saint Elizabeth Shelter
Food Depot	Santa Fe Aquatics
Friends of the Española Public Library	Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Growing Up NM	Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity of Taos	Self Help Inc.
Historic Santa Fe Foundation	Taos Community Foundation
Kitchen Angels	United Way of Northern New Mexico
Los Alamos & Española Habitat for Humanity	Villages of Santa Fe
Los Alamos Community Foundation

It has now been over three years since Triad National Security, LLC took over the management and operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory.  It remains our aim to sustain and enhance the Laboratory’s partnership with the community for the benefit of the region, the Laboratory and our sponsor.

The three members of Triad – Battelle Memorial Institute, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of California – are all public service-oriented organizations, and Triad is proud to play its part in helping Northern New Mexico in what has been another very dynamic year.

In 2021 Triad invested $2.5 million in the region through our Community Commitment Plan, with the investment expanding the reach of the Laboratory’s community work in education, economic diversity, and community giving.

Triad initially chose those focus areas based on discussions with local community leaders, and we carefully monitor the effectiveness and impact of our major investments with the LANL Foundation, the Regional Development Corporation and the United Way of Northern New Mexico, and the other nonprofit grants and sponsorships we make.

After three years, we are confident that our investments are making a positive difference in the region, whether it’s a grant to a small business like Shundine’s Frybread from Taos Pueblo, or support for the NM STEAMHub website, a valuable provider of STEM education resources.

However, as befits the operators of a research institution such as LANL, we are also analyzing data (and gathering new input from the community) to help us assess where we can have the most impact in Northern New Mexico going forward.

So I look forward to 2022 bringing new approaches and partnerships as Triad plays its part in helping Northern New Mexico thrive.

Michael Anastasio

Board Chair, Triad National Security, LLC