Sunset over the mountains with a yucca plant in the foreground.

Support Science That Matters Now

By | Nov 13, 2025 | Donor Stories

Recently, in celebration of Nevada Day, DRI highlighted the work that our scientists do across this great state. And while our home has been in Nevada since our founding in 1959, our work has grown to touch nearly every corner of the globe. Whether it’s analyzing ice cores in the Alps, working with local communities to ensure access to clean water in Ghana, or supporting K-12 educators as they bring high-quality, hands-on STEM education to Nevada's classrooms, the projects our scientists undertake are tied together by a common goal – to help create a more sustainable and resilient environment for all people to live, grow, and prosper.

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Two people are looking at each other and shaking hands in front of shelves of supplies and green boxes.

Teichert Foundation supports STEM Education Outreach in Washoe County

By | Jul 15, 2025 | Donor Stories

The Teichert Foundation has generously provided support for DRI’s STEM Education Program to engage in a targeted STEM education outreach and engagement campaign in Washoe County, Nevada. This campaign will utilize three existing, bilingual Next Generation Science Standards aligned STEM kits that touch upon electricity, energy, and ecosystems topics, respectively. This campaign focuses on connecting with underserved PreK through third grade students and parents.

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Child playing with building and engineering toys on the green carpet.

DRI Invites Nevada Families to Science and Literacy Events for Pre-K Students

By | Mar 3, 2025 | Announcements

DRI’s STEM Education Program is holding free events focused on developing literacy through engaging science activities for Pre-K children 5 and younger throughout Nevada. Through hands-on experiments, story time, and interactive games, the events will bring ecology and electricity to life for the whole family. Each child will also receive free books to take home (while supplies last).

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Two children at a table drawing a pathway with colored markers for the robot to follow.

Ray of Sunshine Ministry Uses Green Boxes to Bring STEM Education to Foster Children and Homeschool Families 

By | Nov 14, 2024 | Donor Stories

Tiffany Morales, Founder and President of Ray of Sunshine Ministry, is bringing STEM education to foster children and homeschool students in Southern Nevada. This year, Ray of Sunshine is utilizing DRI STEM Education Program's Green Boxes to provide STEM and robotics programs to these groups. Morales said, “With DRI’s service, we’re able to provide excellent robotics programs to homeschool groups and foster care facilities, absolutely free of cost to us and to them.”

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Monica Gehrig outside with arms crossed and smiling at the camera.

Meet Monica Gehrig

By | Oct 3, 2024 | Featured researchers

Monica Gehrig joined DRI in summer 2023. She works with the STEM Education Program to bring science education to Nevada schools and builds partnerships with organizations like the Atomic Museum and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Born and raised in Louisiana, she is now based at DRI’s Las Vegas campus. In this interview, Gehrig shares her passion for science education and why she considers it central to understanding the world, her circuitous path to DRI, and her many hobbies outside of work.

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Monica Arienzo in a river looking at a water sample with a overlay of a Green Box kit to educators.

DRI’s STEM Education Team Receives EPA Grant to Support Microplastics Education for Nevada Students and Communities

By | Jul 24, 2024 | Announcements

The $100,000 grant will fund the production of additional educational kits known as Greenboxes that raise awareness and understanding of the prevalence and role of microplastics in the environment. In addition to the Greenboxes, the grant will also support community partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, the Walker Basin Conservancy, Get Outdoors Nevada, Sierra Nevada Journeys, and Envirolution.

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