STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)

It is estimated that eighty percent of future careers will demand knowledge of science and technology.

Afterschool is the ideal place for youth to develop a passion and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). You don’t have to be a science whiz to teach STEM content to kids or to get kids excited about STEM.

Here’s how:

Know how to facilitate STEM activities with kids
Use the STEM process (or scientific method) to make STEM learning fun and hands-on.

The steps of the STEM process are:

• Look around
• Ask questions
• Get an idea
• Try it out
• Think again
• Make sense of it all

The STEM process can serve as a guideline for promoting scientific exploration. Notice how the STEM process is used in our It’s Eggtastic experiment. This STEM Process Tool will assist staff in teaching students the steps of the STEM process.

Don’t be afraid of not knowing an answer; tell students you will figure it out together. Remind students that when it comes to scientific discovery, sometimes you must figure out how something doesn’t work, in order to figure out how it does (i.e., it is okay to be wrong or make a mistake). Thomas Edison is quoted as saying, “If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed…because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

Connect STEM to school day learning
Link out-of-school time STEM learning to what students learn in school; talk to students, day-school teachers, and parents; take notice of homework assignments, textbooks, and school bulletin boards. 

Use similar terms to day-school teachers, for instance: “look around” becomes “make observations”; “get an idea” becomes “form a hypothesis”. Using one set of terminology may make the activity easier for students to understand, but it is important that they recognize those same terms and skills as being tied to and building upon the school day.

Find ways to incorporate STEM into existing programs and activities your students enjoy. Enhance movie days by allowing students to operate a “concession stand” during show time, then chart and analyze their profits. Have students track and chart the most popular snack items in your program’s vending machine. Test an assortment of balls during kickball and have students discuss what makes a particular ball travel further or more likely to become airborne.

Draw on existing resources
Consider the resources and agencies in your community. Are their organizations you could partner with to promote STEM learning in your program: university departments or museums, STEM-related professional associations, other non-profits, etc? Are their organizations you could utilize in a new fashion: instead of asking the fire department to present on fire safety, why not ask them to discuss how fire works (what makes it spread or why some materials catch fire more easily)?

Turn students’ natural curiosity into learning opportunities. If a student asks, “do fish sleep at night” or “why do I have an inhaler”, let their questions drive your STEM activities.

Prepare staff and plan for action
Discuss with staff the potential challenges and solutions around implementing STEM activities in your program. Create an action plan for incorporating more STEM activities and ensure every staff has a role in that plan. Try STEM activities with staff and colleagues to give them a chance to experience and plan for their own.