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.
March brings new ways to spark curiosity, explore careers, and connect STEM learning to the real world through space exploration, health sciences, and computer science. These opportunities are designed for afterschool and summer programs looking for flexible, engaging, and career-connected STEM experiences.
Turn Summer STEM into Funding for Your Program
Make this summer count with hands-on STEM experiences your youth will love and funding your program can use. Afterschool educators can earn $500 to $1,500 by implementing the Nature & Sustainability Learning Journey, a ready-to-use set of engaging, OST-friendly STEM activities designed for easy, low-prep implementation. Whether you are looking to refresh your summer programming or bring new energy to your STEM offerings, this is a simple way to do both while getting paid for your impact. Stipends are first come, first served, so keep an eye out for more details and upcoming webinar dates in April that will walk you step by step through everything you need to successfully implement and qualify.
Available STEM Learning Journeys:
This opportunity is designed for afterschool and out-of-school-time program providers and staff, including site coordinators, facilitators, and program directors. Click here to learn more about the opportunity for afterschool programs.
STEM Next is proud to partner again with global genomics leader Illumina on the “Future is Bright” campaign to bring the power and wonder of DNA science to young people nationwide through afterschool programs.
With DNA Day coming up on April 25, the month of April is an exciting time to celebrate DNA science and the career opportunities it offers. To help educators plan their festivities, we have curated ready-to-use activities and free resources to get youth excited about DNA science.
Free resources available to educators include:
Get started with all of these resources and more at stemnext.org/dna-learning.
Prize opportunity: Help us collect stories to show the impact of afterschool STEM learning! Programs that celebrate DNA Day with young people using these resources between now and DNA Day on April 25th and tell us their stories by May 15 are eligible to win $50 Visa gift cards. Educators can complete this form to enter.
Get ready to make DNA Day engaging, accessible, and impactful for your students across learning settings and grade levels. In this practical prep webinar for educators, we’ll walk you through ready-to-use activities, free resources, and simple facilitation tips to help you plan a successful DNA Day experience.
Whether you’re new to DNA Day or looking to deepen your celebration, you’ll leave with a clear plan and flexible ideas to spark curiosity about genetics, health, and STEM careers, no advanced science background required.
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed test flight in the Artemis campaign. Four astronauts will fly aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and confirm the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed in the deep space environment. In this Golden Age of exploration and innovation, the Artemis missions will allow astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and help build momentum for the first crewed missions to Mars. Looking for ways to get involved in this historic launch?
“Exploring Earth: Paper Mountains” lets participants explore how the shape of the land and the pull of gravity influence how water moves across Earth. By making unique mountain models from crumpled paper and watching how water moves across them, participants can act as Earth scientists, using their observations to make predictions about the future of our planet. Check out the lesson plan, downloadable materials, and training video here.
“Exploring Earth: Rising Sea” is a hands-on activity that demonstrates how to use topographic mapping techniques to track sea-level changes. The activity is connected to current NASA research. Together, participants and facilitators can discuss the effects of rising sea levels on coastal communities and the natural environment. Check out the lesson plan, downloadable materials, and training video here.
