Sierra STEM - Bridging the Gap

How Sierra STEM with MMCF’s support is powering the Next Generation of Scientists in the Eastern Sierra

In the Eastern Sierra, our "backyard" is more than just a playground –it is a world-class laboratory. Yet, for many local families, the barrier between a passion for the outdoors and a pathway to a career in science can feel difficult to overcome. That is where Sierra STEM steps in. Last summer, the Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation (MMCF) ensured those doors swing wide open for the youth of Mono and Inyo Counties.

We recently sat down with Dr. Neal Fox, the Executive Director of Sierra STEM, to discuss a transformative grant awarded by MMCF to support their summer camp programming. Neal, a scientist and educator with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, founded Sierra STEM with a singular vision: to blend rigorous academic inquiry with immersive wilderness experiences.

Through this partnership, MMCF is helping Sierra STEM keep camp tuition affordable for local residents and expanding scholarship opportunities. From elementary students exploring the ecology of June Lake to middle schoolers conducting hands-on labs in the High Desert, these camps are about more than just "getting outside" –they are about building the confidence, critical thinking, and collaborative skills necessary for the leaders of tomorrow.

1. As founder of Sierra STEM, can you tell us a little bit about your background, what was your inspiration to start this organization, and how Sierra STEM originated?

Before moving to the Eastern Sierra, I spent a decade working in academia as a scientist, eventually moving into teaching in the Bay Area. But, in 2021, my wife and I felt called to fulfill a dream of making a home on the East Side. The Eastern Sierra is a special place – an extraordinary outdoor classroom – but many local kids in our rural community don’t have access to extracurricular STEM (that is: science, technology, engineering, and math) enrichment opportunities, field-based learning, or other programs that make science feel relevant and exciting. Sierra STEM grew out of a desire to change that: to make high-quality science and outdoor education accessible to local youth, and to help kids see themselves as scientists, problem-solvers, and stewards of this beautiful place we call home.

2. What are the opportunities available to kids through your summer camp program? What programs are offered?

Our summer camps give kids ages 6-13 the chance to spend a full week exploring science, flexing their creativity, and learning (and playing!) outdoors. In 2025, we offered seven weeklong camps (all based in June Lake and Lee Vining), ultimately serving about 140 students, 85% of whom are full-time residents of Mono or Inyo County.

Each camp is built around a distinct theme, but they all share the same core approach: hands-on learning, curiosity-driven exploration, and connection to the local environment. Camps in 2025 included Fire & Forestry Camp, STEAM Camp (STEM + Arts), Rock On! Geology Camp, Critter Camp (wildlife focus), Pre-Med FUNdamentals (wilderness first aid and real dissections), and – one of my personal favorites – Explorations of Wilderness, which introduces students to backpacking while exploring the science and history of the concept of “wilderness” in the US.

We are proud that our camps cover complex scientific concepts, but kids don’t just learn a bunch of facts; they gain confidence, teamwork experience, and real-world skills in a supportive, joyful environment.

3. Did you have a good representation of the kids from Inyo/Mono County? 

Yes – serving local youth is our top priority. In 2025, 81% of our campers were from Mono County, with additional participation from Inyo County and a small number of non-resident (“full pay”) families from elsewhere in California and beyond whose participation helps cover the costs of running our camps.

We intentionally reserve the majority of our camp slots for local families, and we are committed to maintaining at least 80% local participation as we continue to grow. Since launching our summer camps in 2023, we have doubled our capacity every year, and in 2026 we’ll serve 216 kids, expanding into Mammoth Lakes for the first time while keeping our focus on local access.

4. Can you elaborate on your process for making your camp accessible to all? What is your primary focus?

Accessibility is central to everything we do. Thanks to community support and grant funding – including support from Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation – local families pay just $50 for a full week of camp, while non-resident families pay closer to the true cost of the program ($300-$500 per week, depending on the camp).

For families for whom that $50 fee is a barrier, we offer a simple resident scholarship option. We provided 12 full scholarships in 2025. We also focus our outreach on local families and have worked intentionally over the past several years to strengthen outreach to Spanish-speaking communities in Mono County. Enhancing our inclusivity to these families is a key focus for us in 2026.

MMCF funding specifically helped cover food and transportation for some of our camps, removing logistical barriers that can quietly exclude families, and supported dissection supplies for our Critter Camp and PreMed Camp, giving our participants access to hands-on learning opportunities that are rare in our rural community.

Our primary focus is simple: if a local child wants to participate, cost and logistics should never be the reason they can’t.

5. What were you hoping to achieve with your Summer Camps and was your program successful?

Our goal was (and is!) to provide meaningful, high-quality science enrichment in our rural area where these opportunities are limited – and to do it in a way that feels exciting, empowering, and welcoming.

In every way we measure it, our 2025 Summer Camp programs were successful. We reached more students than ever before, provided more scholarships than ever before, maintained affordability for local families, developed dozens of new, hands-on STEM activities, and created environments where kids felt safe trying new things. 96% of participants’ parents agreed that “Sierra STEM Summer Camps enriched my child's summer” and fully 100% of parents agreed that “Overall, these camps benefit the local community.”

Data aside, there is nothing like reading a program evaluation, which asks, “What did you learn about yourself this week?” and seeing campers provide answers like: “I can do hard things!” and “I could be a doctor.” Those moments of self-discovery are exactly why we do this work, and they give us confidence that our summer camps are not only succeeding today, but laying the groundwork for even greater impact in the years ahead.

6. What goals were you able to realize with this grant?

Support from Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation allowed us to directly remove barriers to participation and deepen the quality of our programming in three ways: (1) The grant helped fund lunches and healthy snacks for all seven camps, making sure kids were well-nourished irrespective of their families’ means. (2) The grant funded transportation for Explorations of Wilderness, ensuring we could get kids to hiking and learning destinations without burdening their families. And (3) the MMCF grant supported specialized supplies and specimens, including dissection materials (a pig’s heart, a sheep’s brain, a cow’s eye, and owl pellets) that made our Pre-Med FUNdamentals and Critter Camps truly exceptional learning opportunities for local kids.

Because of this support, we were able to focus fully on delivering high-quality, affordable, hands-on learning experiences rather than scaling back or passing costs on to families.

7. How did your program improve the lives of the campers? Are there opportunities the youth gain with Sierra STEM that they might otherwise not have?

Many of our campers would not otherwise have access to this kind of hands-on science enrichment, outdoor fieldwork, or exposure to STEM-related career paths. Through Sierra STEM’s Summer Camps, kids dissect real specimens, conduct field surveys, practice wilderness medicine, and explore complex topics like wildfire ecology, green energy, and ecosystem stewardship – all while building confidence and a sense of belonging.

For rural youth especially, we know that these experiences can be transformative. One of the ways we try to help science break through is by inviting partners and guest speakers – wildland firefighters, microplastics researchers, indigenous basketweavers, seismology technicians, and other local experts – to make the concepts real to our campers. Sierra STEM’s Summer Camps help kids imagine futures they may never have dreamed of. 

8. Can you elaborate on the interns and staff of Sierra STEM and what impact they have on your programs and camp attendees?

Our staff are primarily full-time local residents, which means campers are learning from people who are deeply connected to this community and landscape. In 2025, we also were fortunate to receive funding from other local sources to hire two paid high school interns, giving local students their first professional experience in outdoor and environmental education.

These interns are powerful role models: they show younger campers what’s possible and bring energy, relatability, and leadership to our programs. At the same time, they gain real skills, mentorship, and a sense of ownership in serving their community.

9. Is there anything that you would like to convey to our donors?

We want your donors to know that their support has a direct, tangible impact on local kids and families. Because of you, children in Mono and Inyo Counties are not only cared for during much-needed daytime summer camps, but they are also learning science outdoors, building confidence, discovering new interests, and forming connections that last far beyond a single week of camp.

We are deeply grateful to Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation and its donors for believing in this work and helping us build something that truly belongs to this community. Your generosity is shaping opportunities today and helping define what’s possible for the next generation.