The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) center at Foothill College provides students with a community, friendly work environment equipped with computer access, Tutors, and a readily available supply of caffeine for students to remain awake and sane.

Students who frequent the STEM center often spend most of their time outside of class there, studying or catching up with friends. “Being a STEM major is really discouraging at times,” says Sienna Mann, a Foothill student who can often be found at the STEM center. “Coming to the STEM center is a way to motivate yourself to understand difficult concepts, and even if you just see someone you know or sit with a group of friends, you’re somehow able to just talk the concept through which ends up helping a lot.”

To serve the diverse set of students who come to the STEM center, there are different types of study rooms available for students who study different disciplines. Under the umbrella of the STEM center are the Foundations Lab, Accounting and Economics Lab, Computer Lab, Biology Lab, and the main STEM center itself.

The STEM center’s layout is designed in a way that allows for students to seek out different rooms for different kinds of studying. Students who prefer a cafe-like environment can sit in one of the common rooms, where they can study, eat, or chat with a friend in between classes. For those who enjoy the quiet, there are private study rooms available, ranging from small enough for a few person study group, to large enough to comfortably fit a dozen. All study rooms are available to be reserved in advance.

One of the most utilized services of the STEM center is to sign up for help from a tutor who is skilled in one of the many STEM disciplines. The tutors who work there have studied and worked at some of the best educational institutions around the world, including Yale, Stanford, Oxford, and MIT, to name a few.

“I think it’s a really great system, there are a lot of tutors there. There are tutors in a wide range of age groups, there are tutors there who are basically students…there are tutors who have since retired and like science and math and helping people,” observes Ken Czworniak, a tutor at the STEM center.

The STEM center is open 7 days a week in Room 4213. All students are welcome. 

Hours: Monday through Thursday from 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM, Fridays from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM