STEM

STEM along with critical thinking skills, collaboration, and teamwork are skills that are vital to our state’s and our nation’s workforce and economic development. Out of school time (OST) programs support classroom learning by providing an informal setting for additional, hands on, engaging and innovative activities where students are able to explore, learn, make and question.

Principles of Quality STEM Activities

are for all students
are intentional and standards-based (SC STEM Standards)
are active, interesting, and relevant to students
reflect current research and practices
are age-level appropriate
integrate skills from different subjects
incorporate staff training in science teaching
are based on ongoing assessment of student needs and progress

Featured Opportunities🚀

Challenge Based Learning Activity Bundle

Looking for a new way to bring real-world problem solving into your afterschool program? The Challenge Based Learning Activity Bundle from STEM Next is designed to help afterschool and summer educators guide youth through hands-on challenges that connect learning to real community and global issues. This quick-start resource includes three ready-to-use lessons designed for grades 5-8. Explore the bundle and bring career-connected learning to life in your program. View here

Boost Your Summer Programming

Planning your summer program? The National Summer Learning Association offers free tools and resources to help programs plan and deliver high-quality summer learning experiences for young people. Explore Discover Summer to find programs and access free learning resources, and check out the 2026 Summer Planning Bootcamp for practical toolkits designed for summer program providers. Get started

STEM Learning Journeys for Afterschool Programs — Free educator resources + a stipend opportunity

Looking for an easy way to bring engaging, hands-on STEM learning to your afterschool program? Afterschool educators can now access free STEM Learning Journeys designed specifically for out-of-school-time settings — plus an opportunity to earn a stipend of up to $1,500.

Developed by STEM Next in partnership with Verizon, these bundles of lessons and activities help afterschool educators engage youth in hands-on STEM learning with topics including AI, sustainability, space, and engineering.

Programs that complete the Nature & Sustainability Learning Journey can qualify for a stipend based on youth participation.

Learn more and get started

Summer STEM Activities☀️

Stem Activities for Summer Programs

Summer learning becomes more meaningful when young people can build, test, and solve real-world problems through hands-on STEM experiences.

Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) offers flexible STEM activities for PreK–8 designed for summer learning, afterschool programs, libraries, makerspaces, and STEM camps.

Explore activities by age group: Register here

Professional Development Opportunities🚀

Apply for the Teen Science Café Network Fellows Initiative

Career-Connected Learning Framework

Ready to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders? Applications are still open for the Teen Science Café Network Fellows Initiative, a program that helps organizations launch free, youth-led STEM cafés in their communities.

Want to learn more before applying? Join our final Info Session to meet the team, learn about the program, and get your questions answered.

Final Info Session:

📅Wednesday, August 5

⏰ 2:00–3:00 PM CT

Ready to apply? Application: https://forms.gle/QxdLQkW2d3wcdA9S8

Don’t miss this opportunity to bring engaging, youth-led STEM experiences to your community. We can’t wait to meet you! Applications close August 17.

Build Back-to-School Skills Through Hands-On Engineering

Hands-on engineering activities can help students build collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills from the very start of the school year.

Join this free interactive webinar to explore the Engineering Design Process and participate in a classroom-ready design challenge where participants will create a pencil case that holds five pencils and survives a four-foot drop test.

Participants will leave with practical engineering activities they can bring directly into their learning environments.

📅August 26, 2026
⏰7:00–8:00 PM EST

Activities for Youth🚀

“Where’s The Math In That?” Youth Film Series

The Cambridge STEAM Initiative expands math excellence and equity through promoting diverse applications of math concepts, hands-on learning and joyful math experiences. This summer, they are inviting young people to submit short films that answer the question “Where’s the Math in That?”

They are interested in all the ways that estimating, counting, averaging, dividing and multiplying shows up in daily life. From simple concepts to complex formulas, they want to know how math touches you and the people around you. All levels of filmmakers and formats welcome!

Submissions will be curated by a group of youth advisors and a compilation reel will be screened in mid-September (and possibly available online!). The two most original entries will receive a $25 Target Gift Card!

Submit your entry here.

Summer STEM Activities

Summer educators: Looking for high-quality STEM activities? Youth Engineering Solutions has flexible STEM activities for PreK–8, designed for informal settings. Perfect for enrichment programs including summer school, afterschool, libraries, makerspaces, and STEM camps. Find bundles of activities by age group here and below.

Explore activities by age:

PreK-Kindergarten
1. Wee Engineer – Four unique design challenges that can be taught in any order to build children’s confidence in engineering.
2. Engineering Sun Hats – Youth explore the cooling effects of shade as they engineer sun hats that block sunlight and meet users’ needs.
3. Engineering Trash Collectors – Youth consider how materials behave in water and can be shaped as they engineer a collector to remove trash from a model pond.
Lower Elementary
1. Engineering Bandages – Youth engineer bandages that can cover and protect a model cut.
2. Engineering Bubble Wands – Youth engineer bubble wants to make a variety of bubbles
3. Engineering Sails – Youth engineer a sal that catches wind energy to move a vehicle across a distance.
Upper Elementary
1. Engineering an Avalanche Protection System – Youth design a system to hold or divert massive amounts of snow away from a town.
2. Engineering Earthquake-Resistant Buildings G3-5 – Youth engineer model buildings that can better withstand the force of an earthquake.
3. Engineering Upcycled Toy Vehicles – Youth engineer a toy vehicle using upcycled materials
Middle School
1. Engineering Antivirals – Youth engineer a model of antivirals to stop a virus from attaching to a cell.
2. Engineering Prosthetic Tails – You design prosthetic devices for animals that have lost a body part.
3. Engineering Verticals Farms – Youth design a vertical farm to increase the amount of food that can be grown in a small space.

10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

From Vivify STEM, check out these 10 activities with strategies to bring STEM careers to life in afterschool and summer learning programs. All activities connect to real work careers and connect STEM directly to youth interests.

Other Resources🚀

Research-Based Practices & Career Awareness and Exploration

STEM Next aims to raise awareness of research-based practices proven to increase the quality of STEM learning experiences for youth and is committed to strengthening career awareness and exploration in out-of-school time so youth are prepared for whatever comes NEXT.

Why Youth Career Readiness Needs To Begin in Middle School:

CareerXplorer from LabXchange at Harvard University unites education and industry in an interactive career exploration tool built for learners. CareerXplorer unites K–12 education, higher education, and STEMM industries in one streamlined career exploration tool that emphasizes career-connected learning through interactive content.

Making Career Connections in the STEM Classroom:

This article offers three easy ways to immediately connect STEM to careers in afterschool and summer programs. From connecting existing STEM lessons to careers and inviting guest speakers, learn how to connect STEM lessons to the real world and increase student engagement and interest in STEM.

Making Career Connections in STEM with PBS Career Videos:

One way to explicitly connect STEM to careers is through videos where youth are able to see the real work of STEM professionals. PBS Media has thousands of videos that introduce youth to STEM careers, including interviews with people currently in STEM careers. Include one video that relates to each STEM activity in your afterschool or summer program.

Youth Engineering Solutions