The STEM Institute was initiated in 1992 with NASA and CAHSEE support to ensure that Hispanic Americans, female, and other under-represented minority students achieve academic excellence by means of a continuous programmatic support during their pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate years.

The STEM Institute prepares students for the greater demands of college-level study and helps them adjust to campus life. It offers academic and tutoring support services designed to help students prepare for these new challenges.

STEM is a challenging academic enrichment program to encourage talented Latinos, female, and under-represented minority and disadvantaged high school students currently enrolled in the 9th, 10th , and 11th grades to pursue careers in the field of engineering, computer science, science, business management, entrepreneurs, and mathematics.

The STEM Institute is a collaborative initiative between the College NOW Program, the New York City Department of Education, and the Center for the Advancement of Hispanics in Science and Engineering Education (CAHSEE), the Department of Bio-medical Engineering, NOAA CREST and CMMS research programs at The City College of New York Grove School of Engineering. CAHSEE has other STEM Institutes in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

The STEM Institute is supported in part by NASA under grant award NNX09AL36G.