With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Institutional Transformation project aims to develop and implement a comprehensive model for transforming STEM education at a rural institution serving local communities. The project will address academic achievement gaps in STEM fields at both institutional and student levels. This work is especially timely as rural, community-based institutions face unique challenges in retaining STEM students, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on college-level preparedness. The project will transform institutional practice through structured dialogue between leadership and STEM stakeholders, professional development for administrators, and increased leadership engagement in student-centered STEM events. Through this dual approach of institutional transformation and evidence-based teaching practices, the project will contribute new understanding of how community-based institutions can effectively support all students while preparing them for the global STEM workforce. Through innovative programming and teaching practices, this work will create a model for other institutions across the United States to follow. The project will pursue two complementary objectives: i) enhancing institutional leadership’s engagement in STEM programs to transform student support networks, and ii) developing innovative experiential learning opportunities across STEM disciplines