STEM Opportunities
Look no further for quality STEM (science, engineering, technology, and math) opportunities. Scroll down to find a list of wonderful possibilities in Maryland and beyond!
If you would like to receive additional information about STEM learning opportunities provided by after-school and summer programs near you, please fill out the STEM Interest Form. This information is being collected by the Maryland Out of School Time Network (MOST).
Discover STEAM opportunities near you
| Organization | Website | Age Range | Program Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Extension 4-H | Elementary, Middle, High | 5th Annual Mid-Shore STEM Festival – November 5, 2022 The 5th Annual Mid-Shore STEM Festival will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center, located on the Chesapeake College campus, in Wye Mills, Maryland. The event will be held rain or shine from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm and is free, open to the public, and geared toward youth ages 8-16. There are special early childhood STEM activities for youth ages 4-7 as well. The Mid-Shore STEM Festival is hosted by the University of Maryland Extension 4-H and Family & Consumer Sciences Programs and is focused on providing hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math learning for youth of all ages and their families. Activities will include interactive displays, activity stations, demonstrations and workshops. This year’s theme is “Cybersecurity and Information Technology” with many activities focused on the theme, as well as many other STEM topics. This is a great event to make career connections and learn about the future of science and science related careers and opportunities. Bring your kids to participate during the Maryland STEM Festival here on the mid-shore on November 5th for a fun science-filled day! We will have lunch and refreshments for sale. Remember, the event is FREE and open to all! For more information, please contact Navonne Owen, UME Caroline County 4-H, at nowen@umd.edu or (410) 479-4030. This is an equal opportunity and equal access program. | |
| Go2Science | www.go2science.com/ | Elementary | The Go2Science team travels the world doing field research to test hypotheses posed by real scientists. Students have a virtual front row seat on the action through developmentally appropriate field videos, hands-on lessons, livestream events, and more. Every component is flexible and hands-on activities are open ended, appealing to a range of learners and interests. We also provide embedded professional development that allows providers to advance their skill set while working directly with students. Go2Science is low cost and open to PreK-5 learners. Contact us at Curious@Go2Science.com for custom pricing for your site. Financial aide is available. |
| Steam Your Dreams | steamyourdreams.org/ | Elementary, Middle | Steam Your Dreams is tech nonprofit that teaches kids how to about S.T.E.M through esports / egaming. We run 8-week programs for kids ages 6-12 that incorporates S.T.E.M, Esports, physical activities, and quizzes. |
| 4H Club – Lucky Clovers | rallyhood.com/35520/fundraisers/14905835?channel_key=a731c5b3a9a0ce4a6966a25f3a81a48f | Elementary, Middle | Welcome to the 2022 4-H STEM Challenge! Explorers of the Deep, focuses on the mysteries and adventures of ocean exploration—with robots! We will use science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to explore Earth’s Ocean and how it relates to all life on the planet—and focus on how the ocean impacts you and how you impact the ocean. Join us Sunday, October 9, 2-5 pm MOCO Fairgrounds Heritage Bldg 16 Chestnut Street Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Ages 8-14, $5 per participant Register: https://rallyhood.com/35520/fundraisers/14905835?channel_key=a731c5b3a9a0ce4a6966a25f3a81a48f |
| Expanding Boundaries International | expandingboundaries.org | Elementary, Middle, High | Open to youth ages 8 to 16 based in Carroll County & Baltimore, Maryland, surrounding areas, and our Ghana students. An interactive exchange camp focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts (Culture) & Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) with students in Ghana and the United States. Each student will have the opportunity to set up their computer for personal use. Engage in cross-cultural dialogue with their peers Collectively identify local and or international issues with the opportunity to solve or suggest potential solutions collectively Peer-to-peer coding challenges on a global scale Field Trips to STEAM theme destinations Learn programing language |
| Code in the Schools | www.codeintheschools.org/prodigy-program | Middle, High | The Prodigy Program is Code in the Schools’ flagship after-school computer science education program designed to bring advanced technology skills to middle and high school Baltimore City youth, offered for the 2022-23 school year both virtually and on site at our 21 E North Ave office. Participants sharpen their skills in Web Development, Game Development, Python, Data Science, and CyberSecurity while working on projects with industry professionals that benefit our city and community. No experience necessary, and the Fall semester starts September 12. Enroll now at https://forms.gle/J7tQ8a1UP8bxczMk9 |
| Skillastics | www.skillastics.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAybaRBhDtARIsAIEG3kkd6uZ5UMw18S9pt4Fne1PW2AF-pSZQt9BrUiATDYSlveDd8SH_SOoaAnwIEALw_wcB | Elementary, Middle | Skillastics is the all-in-one solution that makes physical activity simple for after-school programs. Our 36-week curriculum focuses on Fitness, Sports Skill Development, Character, and STEM. We also have Unlimited Digital Specialty Programs that bring specialists, remotely, to your program. These programs can be run virtually or on-site. They are 30 days in length, with each day having a 30-40 minute lesson. Skillastics make Physical Activity Simple and Fun for your Staff and Students! Aligned with NGSS standards as well. No fee to access our site |
| Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory | secwww.jhuapl.edu/stem/stem-academy/ | High | APL’s STEM Academy is a unique opportunity for middle and high school students (grades 8–12) to increase both their knowledge of and interest in STEM-related college majors and careers by taking after-school courses (4:30–6:30 p.m. ET). STEM Academy courses allow students to: – learn technical and workplace essential skills from practicing APL computer scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals – learn about real-world applications of STEM – experience hands-on learning – explore career development opportunities – have fun in a supportive environment We offer both technical and workplace essentials courses. Courses are offered based on instructor availability, so not all courses are offered each session. The course schedule can be found here: https://secwww.jhuapl.edu/stem/stem-academy/courses/course-schedule. New students need to apply. For more information about the application process, please visit https://secwww.jhuapl.edu/stem/stem-academy/new-students/. Eligibility: STEM Academy courses are offered for students in grades 8–12, with the exception of Python for Girls, which is offered for middle school girls in grades 6–8. Reliable transportation to APL (Laurel, MD) throughout the session is required (for in-person classes only). Students enrolled in our virtual courses do not need access to reliable transportation. However, they will need reliable internet access as well as audio and visual capabilities. Students must be committed to attending at least 10 of the 12 classes offered each session and meeting the time requirements for each class (4:30–6:30 p.m. ET). Students who do not meet the attendance requirement will not be eligible for a certificate of completion for the course. Timeline: STEM Academy is offered during two 12-week fall and spring sessions. During the fall session, courses are offered one day per week from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET from the third week of September until the end of the second week of December. During the spring session, courses are offered one day per week from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET mid-February until the end of the second week of May. Cost: STEM Academy requires a $49-per-course commitment fee ($99 for the Robotics course). Fees are used for scholarships issued by the APL STEM Program Management Office. Contact stemacademy@jhuapl.edu for information on financial assistance. Email stemacademy@jhuapl.edu with any questions. |
| Partners After School @ Grantsville | garretthealth.org/after-school-programs/ | Elementary | Partners After School @ Grantsville has partnered with University of Maryland Extension (UME) of Garrett County to offer the 4-H Tech Wizards program to participants twice a month. PAS enrolls a maximum of 20 Grantsville Elementary School students for their program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October through the end of the school year. Program hours are 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. This year’s program is operating at Northern Middle School while the elementary school is under renovation. Any student from Grantsville Elementary in grades 3-5 is eligible to enroll. Interested parents or caregivers can call Venessa Stacy at 301-334-7730 or email at Venessa.Stacy@maryland.gov. |
| Creative Developement Studios | bit.ly/cdsyouthenrichment | Elementary, Middle, High | Mixed Media Art In mixed media arts & crafts we use paints, papers and board of all descriptions, glues, buttons, fabrics, found objects, photos, metal bits, fibers, things from nature, inks, pencils, crayons, markers, pastels and polymer clays and the integration of STEM to create ART! Jewelry Instruction Jewelry Making is a unique STEM enriching hands-on class where students get the chance to express their style through jewelry creations. Students will create unique jewelry pieces with the guidance of our qualified instructors. They’ll learn the latest trends, tricks and techniques for using the right tools, beads and findings that will bring inspiration to life. In addition, this class provides the entrepreneurial skills needed to sell and market the items created. Fashion Design and Sewing In this unique STEM enriching Sewing/Design Class, students will be taught the skill and art of sewing by hand and by machine. Sewing is the oldest of the textile arts and the students are encouraged to exercise their creative thoughts and feelings on paper, in tissue and with fabric. All of the exercises in this course are designed to teach this craft in the simplest form. With focus and determination, the students can easily adapt to learning how to perform basic to more detailed tasks by hand and on the sewing machine. |
| 4-H Charles County STEM | extension.umd.edu/locations/charles-county/4-h-youth-development | Elementary, Middle, High | From understanding the complexities of our sun with heliophysics education, to designing robots to tackle climate change and other environmental issues; Charles County 4-H values STEM not only as a discipline, but as a lifestyle. As a proud component of the University of Maryland Extension, Charles County 4-H provides experimental educational STEM opportunities for youth that will enable them to become the leaders of tomorrow. We believe that it is our job to guide the youth of today to “Make the Best Better”, and what best to do that than by using science, technology, engineering, and math! We hope to see you there! *In order to be eligible to participate in a program, a child must be a Charles County, MD resident as well as completely registered through out national database, 4-H Online. *Program costs vary. |
| Baltimore Kids Chess League Inc | baltimorekidschessleague.com/ | Elementary, Middle, High | Baltimore Kids Chess League, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that exists to promote scholastic chess educational opportunities in Baltimore City that foster skills necessary for overall academic achievement. We work directly with schools and run after school programs. The cost for a full year membership is $3,000. |
| Science Action Club | www.calacademy.org/sac | Middle | Science Action Club features hands-on STEM activities and nature challenges that inspire wonder and spark creativity in middle-school-age youth. Embark on a backyard bug safari. Share atmospheric observations with NASA. Pilot your own paper bird. SAC kits take youth outdoors to investigate nature and design creative solutions to our planet’s most pressing problems—and have fun doing it. SAC features high quality staff training and science kits that make it easy for out-of-school time educators to lead citizen science experiences with confidence and skill. Each kit includes: 12 activities and bonus resources for 60-90 minute club sessions Science tools and supplies for 20 youth in grades 5-8 Interactive, self-paced, online training for program staff Options for customized, in-person trainings Available in three topics and two languages (English and Spanish): Bug Safari Cloud Quest Bird Scouts Our pay-what-you-can pricing model ensures that organizations of all sizes and budgets can use Science Action Club to inspire curiosity and build STEM identity. Learn more at https://sciclub.link/price. |
| Intergalactic Education | www.intergalacticeducation.com | Intergalactic Education offers a variety of free STEM applications that teach adolescents algebra and astronomy in a fun and interactive way. Students solve equations to launch rockets and explore the solar system. Learning experiences can be downloaded from either app store or played directly on our website. Teachers and parents are encouraged to create an account to track student progress. Please email if you have any questions. | |
| Y.E.E.S. W.E. C.A.N. | www.ywcelites.com | Elementary | Since partnering with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Y.E.E.S. W.E. C.A.N. holds regular biweekly sessions during the school year on the UMES campus. Instruction includes subjects and concepts such as aviation science, drone pilot training, coding lessons, computer hardware, electronics and robotic projects, 3D printing, cybersecurity, financial literacy and individual/team leadership development activities as well as AI and gaming. Additionally, basic, standard and advanced mathematics classes are required for every Elite in the program. Our Program is funded by generous donations and therefore free to our underserved youth population. *** Elementary – 4th and 5th grades only |
| University of Maryland Extension 4-H Youth Development Program | Elementary, Middle, High | The 5th Annual Mid-Shore STEM Festival will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center, on the Chesapeake College campus in Wye Mills (Queen Anne’s County). The event will be held rain or shine from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm and is free and open to the public. The Mid-Shore STEM Festival is being hosted by the University of Maryland Extension 4-H Program and is focused on providing hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math learning for youth of all ages and their families. Activities will include: interactive displays and stations, special workshops, and demonstrations. In addition, there will be tours of some Chesapeake College facilities and departments to highlight how they incorporate STEM in the classroom. This is a great event to make career connections and learn about the future of science and science related careers and opportunities. Back by popular demand is STEM activities for younger audiences (pre-school and early elementary age) provided by the early childhood education department. You will not want to miss it! Bring your kids to participate during the Maryland Science Festival here on the mid-shore on November 5th for a fun science-filled day! We will have lunch and refreshments for sale. Remember, the event is FREE and open to all! For more information, please contact Navonne Owen, UME Caroline County 4-H, at nowen@umd.edu or (410) 479-4030. This is an equal opportunity and equal access program. | |
| BCAUSEICAN | www.bcauseican.net | Elementary, Middle, High, Other | BCAUSEICANCODE, our signature program, teaches coding classes for elementary students using the Scratch block-based programming language and for middle and high school students using the Python programming language. Our Family Technology Workshops were created out of the need for families and caregivers to assist students in distance learning. This includes training on such platforms as Google Classroom, Class Dojo, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. |
| UME Academy | www.ume.academy/ | Elementary, Middle | Make, Play and Learn how to think like a designer and build important career skills while making a portfolio of video games using Unity, the industries most popular game engine. Engage in self directed learning alone or with your peers in our online platform designed for kids ages 7 – 13. $9.99/month gives you access to all the courses, projects and software to build playable video games you can share with your family and friends! |
| Wilcome Human Services, Inc. | Http://Wilhumanservices.org | Middle, High | Learn to build a computer from peer teaching! (1)Learn the components of a computer and how they operate. (2)Learn how to fully put together a PC computer. |
| KidsSTREAM Inc. | kidsstreaminc.com | Elementary, Middle | KidsSTREAM academically and socially prepares youth to pursue a career or courses in STEM, research, and the arts. We offer summer camp, after school club, virtual tutoring, and parent workshops. |
| Project S.T.E.M. | www.meaningfulteens.org | Elementary, Middle | Project S.T.E.M. is a virtual tutoring program aimed to help students from grades 3 to 8 in S.T.E.M. education. Tutors and students meet weekly on Sundays from 3 to 3:45 PM EST via Zoom. Through online resources and tutor walk-throughs Project S.T.E.M. hopes to give students an opportunity to excel and practice curriculum from science, technology/engineering and math classes. |
| ONE More… ONE Less Mentoring Inc., | Https://www.omolmentoringinc.org | Elementary, Middle, High, Other | One More One Less Mentoring, Inc. will deliver a water adventure, Operation Waterway Environmental Education (OPWWEE), for minority youth and families. This program gives participants confidence to move forward in a positive direction by introducing them to environmental inclusion, using boating/kayaking, building underwater robots, and an introduction to marine conservation, while teaching the next generation of anglers fishing skills that will last a lifetime. In addition, the program will increase the awareness of multilingual fishing trial programs that target multi-ethnic participants (i.e., Latino, Afro American, Asian American- immigrants, refugees’, youth, families, and all-girl/young women’s social groups with little or no angling experience). The aquaculture program will give youth a hands-on experience to teach them about raising native forage fisheries species and will serve to motivate minority girls and young women to be engaged in angling over future years. Adult mentorship will be built and enhanced by the inclusion of adults in aquatic education and angler skills programs to inspire and recruit next generation anglers. The OPWWEE program will be broken out into three (3) educational and experiential tasks which include 1) an introduction to local fisheries involving virtual learning, classroom aquaculture and robotic assembly for oyster bed observation, 2) an introduction to rod and reel configuration where participants will learn all parts of the rod and reel, including spinning, baitcasting, conventional and fly reels, along with their proper use, and 3) Casting 101 which includes virtual instruction, experience with live bait and artificial lures and opportunities to cast from a variety of access points including kayaks. Throughout the program, participants will be transported to a variety of fishing experiences within the Bay watershed. The program will culminate in minority women’s youth fishing kayak tournaments. Cost $250 biweekly, for registration eligibility contact Youth Coordinator: Danyelle Avery- lunkhead56@gmail.com |
| The Ingenuity Project, Inc. | www.ingenuityproject.org/ | The Ingenuity middle and high school programs provides students with rigorous and advanced math and science courses and experiences that prepare them for college pathways in STEM. Students apply for the program in 5th and 8th grades for entrance in 6th and 9th grades. The Ingenuity honors math and science courses are in place of the Baltimore City courses during the school day, and we offer enrichment during the summer and afterschool. Our students all complete high school Algebra by 8th grade and many now do high school Geometry and Algebra by the end of middle school. Our high school program at Poly provides students with the most advanced math and science curriculum offered in Baltimore City, with most students taking two years of college Calculus and college science before graduating high school. A unique opportunity for our high schools students is our 2- and 3-credit off-campus STEM research practicum where students conduct an independent research project under the mentorship of a university or STEM research mentor. Students then prepare to complete in reginal and national competitions. Ingenuity offers four city-wide middle school advanced STEM programs at Hamilton, Mount Royal, Roland Park, and James McHenry and hosts a single advanced STEM high school program at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Ingenuity’s math and science curriculum is not a supplement to existing math and science instruction, but a separate, comprehensive math and science curriculum. Ingenuity hires highly qualified math teachers to partner with the Baltimore City math teacher so students are learning in small classes of 15:1. Middle School Ingenuity’s middle school program begins with high expectations for student achievement. Ingenuity teachers provide challenging and dynamic coursework with an emphasis on inquiry, investigation, strong work habits, and deep mastery of concepts. Teachers provide summer programs in mathematics to ensure retention of concepts, and support students with after school programs, such as The Learning Club (TLC), and coaching to prepare for regional and national math competitions and science fairs. High School Ingenuity’s high school program aligns to the highest standards in math and science to enable students to enroll and succeed in selective colleges and STEM careers. Almost 100% of all Ingenuity students have been accepted into competitive 4-year colleges. Students receive personalized student and family guidance for college selection, and opportunities for connection to a vast network of successful alumni and professionals in STEM related careers. Applications for the program are available in November. |