Our Mission
To make quality, hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning accessible, inclusive and fun for all.
Guided by our Core Values
Belonging - We believe that quality learning happens best when people feel a true sense of belonging—built on shared values, meaningful contribution, and authentic connection.
Collaboration - We believe collaboration fosters a supportive, inclusive culture where diverse perspectives, shared goals, and open communication lead to greater possibilities, better solutions, stronger teams, and continuous growth.
Curiosity - We believe curiosity drives exploration, innovation, and continuous improvement, making it essential to lifelong learning that is both effective and fun.\
Innovation - We believe that a focus on innovation fosters creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving, which prepares us to adapt to the challenges of an ever-changing world.
Impact - We believe that impact as a core value reminds us to make meaningful, strategic, and ethical choices that create lasting and positive change for our students and our world.
Play - We believe that prioritizing play fosters a joyful, creative, and student-centered culture that encourages well-being, enriches learning, and builds connections to others.
About Us
Founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2023, our mission is to make quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning accessible, inclusive and fun for people of all ages in Broomfield, CO and the surrounding communities. Through partnerships within the STEM and educational communities, we work with local engineers, teachers and volunteers to foster a community that values belonging, curiosity, collaboration, innovation, impact and play. In addition to providing engaging and accessible competitive FIRST robotics programs for students in grades 2-12 through the Broomfield Robotics Club, we also provide a deep dive into multiple branches of STEM curriculum through our STEAM Summer Camp, Preschool Play Days, Early Engineers Program, and our Building and Coding Clubs. Inclusion is one of our top priorities, and we strive for belonging and community for all of our students, regardless of their race, economic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, country of origin, language, or special learning needs. All are welcome in Broomfield STEM!
Our Story
It started in Broomfield, CO in 2022 with four young teenagers who wanted to build robots together, two Ukrainian refugees who needed a community, several individuals who were willing to donate to help start a team, and a church that let us set up shop in the basement. That group was soon joined by a few friends and students from the middle school up the road, and then there were nine. Two of them were autistic, two had ADHD, and four of them were learning English as their second language, but they didn’t let those challenges stand in their way. Together they formed the BroomBots (from Broomfield) and registered as a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team for their rookie season.
Their goals for the year were simple: form a tight knit team, have fun, and build a robot that doesn’t break the other robots at the competition. (FIRST isn’t for BattleBots - their robots perform tasks to score points instead.) They achieved those goals, and their robot even qualified for the Colorado State Championship in their first year!
Year 1 (2022-2023)
It didn’t take long for word to get out about what was happening in the basement of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, and parents began to ask if we could add programs for younger kids as well. In January of 2023, Dr. Karoline Jarr, Kevin Fattor, Arian Lalezari and Anne Carpenter agreed to share their expertise as board members, and Broomfield STEM was officially founded as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization so we could begin to expand to welcome more children.
That summer we added two FIRST Lego League Challenge teams, the BroomBricks and the BroomBlocks, for 4th-7th graders, and the BroomBots helped design an Early Engineers program for students in grades K-3. More mentors joined us from the education and STEM professions, and Broomfield STEM grew from nine students to 50. The teams had a terrific first season, each winning an award at their very first tournament!
Year 2 (2023-2024)
As more interest continued to grow, so did our programs. In the Summer, we added a week-long STEAM camp and a FIRST Lego League camp to keep engaging with the community throughout the summer. We added a new program, FIRST Lego League explore, for 2nd-3rd graders, and split that age out from Early engineers to better serve those groups. We also doubled our FIRST Lego League Challenge capacity by adding 2 more teams, the BroomBoltz and the Broombuilders. Finally, we added a 2nd FIRST Tech Challenge team, Fellowship of the Broom, for our expanding middle and high school students in our expanding pipeline.
Year 3 (2024-2025)
This year we have had some minor expansion as we focused on maintaining the quality of our programs as we reach a turning point in our organization. In the summer, we expanded FIRST Lego League camp to both Challenge and Explore age groups. We also added a few additional spots for our Early Engineers program and FIRST Lego League Explore program, and piloted a Preschool Play Day event for a Saturday in the fall and spring. Our FIRST Lego League Challenge teams and FIRST Tech challenge teams continue to thrive in building community and real-world technical and non-technical skills. In order to continue expanding our programming, we are beginning the transition to some paid staff and the journey to our own space.
Present (2025-2026)
For the next season, with our staff of Executive Director, Director of Program Development, and Administrative Assistant, we are planning to expand again. We are expanding our Early Engineers curriculum to 2nd-3rd graders and 4th-5th graders as a separate pipeline, and are exploring after-school programs at elementary schools with this curriculum as well. Additionally, we are adding Coding club and Builders club for both 3rd-5th and 6th-8th graders. As our students continue to age up, we are also expanding our FIRST Lego League Challenge to include 2 new teams and expanding FIRST Tech Challenge to have 1 additional team as well.