Vermont Afterschool is proud to be partnering with STEM Next to make out-of-school STEM opportunities a reality for Vermont’s young people, to help them thrive in STEM and beyond. Through afterschool and summer programs, we believe every child should have STEM opportunities that inspire curiosity, innovation, and the critical thinking skills for whatever comes next.
From the devices in our pockets to the bridges we drive across, from clean water systems to lifesaving medical innovations, engineering touches every part of our lives. That’s why each year, Engineers Week is a time to celebrate the people who make all this possible—and to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers.
Here are some resources from our partners at DiscoverE to help inspire students in engineering!
STEM Next is accelerating its efforts to advance career-connected learning in afterschool and summer learning programs with its Career-Connected Learning Framework for Out-of-School Time Providers. With its partners at the Museum of Science in Boston, out-of-school time providers will see how open-ended problems that invite youth to engineer solutions can foster durable skill development and connect STEM more closely to careers in middle school.
This workshop highlights free, ready-to-use resources that help youth connect the YES Engineering Antivirals challenge to real health careers—from biomedical engineering to nursing—while building skills like collaboration and critical thinking. Educators will leave with downloadable activities and strategies they can use immediately with YES engineering units. Attendees who complete the post-training survey will be entered into a raffle to receive a STEM kit for 20 youth.
STEM Next is proud to introduce the next resource in our ongoing work to strengthen career-connected learning across afterschool and summer programs: Building Bridges with Industry: A Playbook for Integrating Career-Connected Learning into Out-of-School Time. Developed in partnership with Jobs for the Future, This Playbook supports leaders of afterschool and summer learning in building and sustaining employer partnerships that expand access to meaningful career exploration and preparation for young people. The Playbook offers practical guidance for creating partnerships that meet both youth and employer needs.
Research shows that parents are one of the biggest influences on youth interest and persistence in STEM. Yet, with few exceptions, when it comes to leveraging family engagement for youth success in STEM and career exploration, there is a disconnect between research and practice.
Explore three new resources designed to help families support career-connected learning at home. Organized into guides for elementary, middle, and high school grade levels, each resource offers age-appropriate guidance that helps adults encourage young people to think about, talk about and begin exploring their future career paths.
