STEM
ACT Now is dedicated to assisting out-of-school time programs in all areas of the state to develop and expand quality STEM programming that provides opportunities for all youth to develop skills and promote an early interest in STEM. Only 20% of a student’s waking hours are spent in a formal school setting, leaving out-of-school time to play an impactful role in the lives and futures of youth. Out-of-schooltime programs offer youth the opportunity to explore STEM concepts in a low-pressure, high-exploration setting that promotes collaboration and innovation. For assistance or more information regarding STEM resources contact, Kim Turnbull (Afterschool STEM Manager, turnbullk@actnowillinois.org)
STEM Clubs
ACT Now initiates and supports multiple STEM Clubs throughout the state of Illinois in partnership with established afterschool programs to provide quality, hands-on STEM experiences. The target programs will serve students from low-income families, students of color and young women. The clubs will focus on grades 3 to 8 with an emphasis on advancing an engineering mindset and increasing computational thinking capacity. Each club is provided STEM curriculum based on 1 hour of hands-on STEM programming per week, all materials to implement the curriculum, professional development training for club facilitators that covers curriculum content, effective pedagogy, and engaging facilitation techniques. STEM Clubs are given continual support from ACT Now from start to finish.
STEM Resources
Throughout ACT Now’s STEM Guidebook, there are resources on how to fund your program, gain professional development opportunities, build a curriculum with activity recommendations, and ways in which you can advocate for policy change for STEM in afterschool.
As an afterschool provider, you do not have to have a STEM background or have access to an expensive lab. STEM can be learned, experienced, and experimented with alongside the students in your program and through the affordable resources presented in this guidebook. There are many, many resources on STEM afterschool education, so the resources throughout this guidebook are by no means all of the incredible, insightful resources available!
ACT Now STEM
- ACT Now STEM Guidebook
- Investing in Tomorrow’s Innovators in Illinois: A Comprehensive Assessment of Afterschool STEM Programs and the Need for Expanded Learning Opportunities for Youth
- STEM Program Planning Tool
- STEM Activity Planning Tool
- STEM Activity Observation Tool
- STEM Self-Evaluation Tool
- The Million Girls Moonshot (MGM) seeks to re-imagine who can engineer, who can build, and who can make in the world. It will inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through afterschool and summer programs over the next five years. Access our archived MGM STEM Resources here
- ACT Now’s weekly newsletter covers resources and funding opportunities for providers, including STEM resources.
Engineering and Math
Ignite STEM learning with this resources that provides hundreds of engineering challenges,lessons, and units. Everything for grades K-12.
DiscoverE is the backbone organization behind Engineers Week™ (established 1951), Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day™ (2001), World Engineering Day (2016, formerly known as Global Day of the Engineer), the Persist Series (2005), and the Future City Competition™ (1993). Find the perfect engineering activity that promotes critical thinking and career awareness.
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) has published a collection of free engineering-focused games for youth.
Provide kids ages 10 to 13 a vehicle to explore engineering and develop global competency by partnering them with out-of-school-time programs from a different country.
Hour of Engineering is a program that aims to get students excited about engineering careers early and build confidence and problem-solving skills. The program provides resources, hands-on activities, videos, simulations, and teacher guides to support classrooms in STEM education. The learning content is aligned to science, technology, engineering, mathematics standards.
Afterschool Math Plus is an evidence-based program that provides fun, real-world mathematics activities for students in grades three through eight. Materials include a culturally relevant curriculum designed around four thematic units that engage children. Each unit emphasizes identity development, careers, role models, strategies for family involvement, and inclusion of students with disabilities through an equity lens.
NBA Math Hoops leverages the game of basketball and the NBA/WNBA brands to build fundamental math and social-emotional skills through a physical and digital basketball-themed board game, a curriculum, and a community program experience.
MLB Players STEM League is a baseball-inspired program for middle-school age youth. This combination board game and curriculum brings to life the energy of the sport while cultivating students’ math and social-emotional skills.
Tech and Coding
Coding Programs for Students’ Success
eSchool News shared five online coding programs for providers to leverage in their OST experiences to support students’ long-term learning while addressing STEM interests!
Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp 2024
The Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program is starting this fall! Students will learn the basic concepts of artificial intelligence and how they can incorporate AI into their field of interest. Students will receive transportation assistance, food/snacks, and laptops for use throughout the experience. Applications are open until September 30, 2024.
Scratch is the largest free coding community for kids. No coding experience needed. There are lessons, tutorials, and projects for all to complete.
Connecting to Computer Science
A Resource for Afterschool Practitioners: Pulls together existing resources, curricula, and research.
Girls Who Code (GWC) has developed a toolkit with relevant resources for engaging families in youth in the organization’s GWC Clubs and STEM programming. Resources include sample newsletter copy, social media content, and more! There is also information on GWC Clubs.
The Hour of Code is a free introduction to computer science through fun activities and videos for learners of all skill levels. Join the largest learning event in history, December 9-15, 2024.
Tinkercad is a kidSAFE-certified online platform that lets you create 3D digital designs, circuits, and code blocks with no downloads or strings attached. Explore hundreds of projects, lesson plans, and classroom resources for STEM learning and invention.
You can teach the fundamentals of computer science, whether you have computers in your classroom or not! Lessons in which students are not working on a computer as “unplugged.” Students will often work with pencil and paper or physical manipulatives. Unplugged lessons are particularly useful for building and maintaining a collaborative classroom environment, and each of these activities can either be used alone or with other computer science lessons on related concept.
General Science
Entrepreneurship Month Resources
Ready to take entrepreneurial learning to the next level? As Mizzen Education continues to celebrate #EntrepreneurshipMonth, use their free activities to challenge, delight, and inspire today’s trailblazing youth!
STEM Activities for Youth and Families
EiE from the Museum of Science, Boston, has developed a free collection of STEM activities for families. These hands-on, research-based activities are designed for families with students ages 4–11 and will help them build confidence, collaborative problem-solving skills, and an understanding of STEM disciplines.
November 8, 2024, is National STEAM Day! This day is a great opportunity to engage in STEAM experiences and highlight the importance of early exposure and equitable access to STEAM education. The STEM Next Opportunity Fund and Verizon have collaborated to develop a few hands-on and interactive STEM activities. Themes include AI, coding, and earth sciences, and more!
The NISE Network has gathered several STEM activities for different grade levels to support afterschool programs in their Halloween events.
Activities to Celebrate Halloween with Students
ShareMyLesson created a collection of Halloween-themes lessons related to math, science, and reading for program providers. These activities also include resources for Dia de los Muertos.
Peggy Notebeart Science Curriculum for Educators
The Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum is soliciting applications from educators interested in bringing local science supports into the classroom. This program is geared towards grades K-8. Registration is due September 12, 2024.
Mizzen Education and Learn Fresh Resources
Learn Fresh is a non-profit that leverages students’ passion for sports to inspire STEM and social-emotional learning. Mizzen Education members can now access the 10-part NBA Math Hoops module on the Mizzen Education platform!
SciJinks
SciJinks has created a scavenger hunt for students interested in learning about the weather. Afterschool providers can facilitate this scavenger hunt in remote, hybrid, and in-person programming. Students can complete the scavenger hunt activity by reading the selected articles on the SciJinks website to find the answers to each clue. Once they have all the clues, they will be able to spell the secret word. To access this activity, click here.
Science Buddies is a K-12 nonprofit that has developed a unique library of quality STEM resources that are free for students, parents, and teachers. These resources include standards-aligned lesson plans, career profiles, hands-on activities, and 1,000+ project ideas.
MY SO – High-Quality STEM Program for Youth
Science Olympiad (SO) is launching its MY SO program! This FREE STEM program is available to all students and educators – at home, in the classroom, after school, or on a Science Olympiad team. Each month, youth will dive into a different STEM topic – like Epidemiology – with a lesson plan that’s aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a career connection video featuring a STEM professional, and an optional national online test. Science Olympiad has also created the MY SO 101 Guide to support teachers, afterschool providers, principals, and families in providing high-quality STEM opportunities.
A host of science activities and challenges for all kids all year round.
FMI is to develop and provide STEM facilitators with authentic mathematics and science resources that use food to engage students in science learning.
Science of Sport develops interdisciplinary STEM curriculum and programming that is inclusive to all learners. We make education relevant through hands-on, minds-on learning. By incorporating sports examples, we inspire lifelong educational and social-emotional skills.
Explore Science: Let’s Do Chemistry:
Let’s Do Chemistry is a set of free hands-on activities and tips for chemists and science educators to use when they share science with school-aged children. Videos and instructions show prospective presenters what to do and say to empower children in guided exploration.
Environmental Science & Space
Project WILD’s mission is to provide wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources. All curriculum materials are backed by sound educational practices and theory, and represent the work of many professionals within the fields of education and natural resource management from across the country.
Smithsonian Science for Global Goals
The Smithsonian Science for Global Goals Project, which provides youth around the world, ages 11-18 with the knowledge and skills to understand the world’s most pressing issues and to become agents for change in their own communities. Through a series of freely available community research guides, young people use their communities as their laboratory to investigate the science that underlies the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
NASA Out-of-School Time Learning Network
The NASA Out of School Learning Network has STEM-based activities for out-of-school time programs. These modules include engineering design challenges, inquiry-based lessons and citizen science recommendations that align to Next Generation Science Standards. The curriculum and content focus on Earth and space science, physical science, rockets, living and working in space and aeronautics.
Afterschool STEM Research Review
The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is sharing its fall edition of the Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review newsletter with the afterschool community!
Hands-On STEM Learning Will Support Gen Alpha Students
eSchool News has an article sharing how more hands-on learning experiences will benefit a new generation of technical professionals.
Interesting Insights on Student Engagement
LEGO Education shared four key findings on how students like to be engaged and what type of programming not only inspires them but helps to build confidence.
News and Reports
The Girls’ Index™: Girls & STEM Impact Report
Ruling Our Experiences published The Girls’ Index™: Girls & STEM Report which involved 17,500 girls in grades 5-12. The report documents a growing interest in STEM careers among girls, but also a concerning drop in confidence. The report also has policy recommendations.
Federal Toolkit on Ethical AI Use in Education
eSchool News published an article elevating a toolkit to support classroom use of AI technology.
Tips and Tricks for Teaching with AI
ShareMyLesson has collected a variety of resources to support educators using AI to engage youth in programming and traditional school day classes.
This list from the Northwest Association on Biomedical Research contains four major and effective strategies to support youth STEM career awareness.
ACT Now Policy Brief on Outdoor Education
Read more about the importance of outdoor education and its impact on youth and our future in ACT Now’s new policy brief, put together by Summer 2024 Policy and Communications Intern Emily Waechtler. In the brief, you can learn about outdoor education and its benefits, read a case study about an example in Illinois and out-of-school time, and find resources for implementing activities in programs.
Afterschool Alliance Database for STEM and Civic Engagement Programming
The Afterschool Alliance recently released the Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society Resource Database. This database is designed to be a clearinghouse of resources focused on the intersection of STEM, Youth Empowerment, and Civic Engagement for out-of-school time providers!
Out-of-School Time Workforce Report
Afterschool Matters published the findings from the Power of Us workforce survey interviews supported by the Wallace Foundation. Read what youth field workers from OST programs, summer camps, parks and recreation, outdoor education programs, libraries, museums, faith-based organizations, housing organizations, and statewide afterschool networks have to say about the field.
Investing in Out-of-School Time STEM is an Investment in a Robust, Diverse STEM Workforce
Read a brief by STEM Next Opportunity Fund and Jobs For the Future (JFF) describing the role OST plays in STEM workforce development.
The U.S. Department of Education launched the “YOU Belong in STEM” Initiative on October 12, 2022. The goal of this initiative is to help school districts and their programmatic partners redesign systems and learning spaces to make sure students receive a well-rounded STEM education.
America After 3PM STEM Special Report
The Afterschool Alliance recently released a special report on the state of afterschool STEM programming. The report highlights how programs that facilitate STEM experiences typically serve underrepresented students in the STEM sectors, decreasing barriers to college and career exploration for youth of color. There is also Illinois-specific data that indicates families recognize the importance of STEM learning opportunities.
Afterschool STEM Hub Newsletter
The Afterschool Lab Report is a quarterly newsletter produced by the Afterschool STEM Hub. It includes STEM policy updates, resources, advocacy opportunities, and research publications that help make the case about why afterschool STEM learning is important.
STEM Facilitation and Professional Development
How Schools Are Offering CTE Classes and Potential Changes
EducationWeek published an article on how schools are facilitating CTE classes for students. The article also highlights how these classes may change in terms of guidelines, curriculum, and more.
National Entrepreneurship Month Resources and Events
November is also National Entrepreneurship Month and VentureLab and Mizzen Education are partnering to provide three weeks of action-packed resources featuring youth trailblazers and their mentors!
STEM Career Exposure Gaps Remain
eSchool News summarizes a new report on the landscape of STEM exposure experiences for youth in the United States. The report emphasizes that there remain gaps for girls looking to engage in career exploration opportunities in the STEM fields. In addition, School News collected three online resources to support students in their career learning.
STEM Skills for Future Careers Guide
Share My Lesson has collected resources for preK-12 educators to support students’ STEM learning for future exploration and career success. These lessons focus on both hard and soft skill development.
STEM Opportunity Alliance Partner Survey!
The STEM Opportunity Alliance (SOA) is asking organizations to review goals and action steps in the National Strategy for STEMM Excellence and Equity and provide feedback on the strategy.
Tools to Support Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs
The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), Education Development Center, and partners of the informal STEM education field have developed a set of resources to scale informal STEM learning programs and curricula equitably. These resources are a result of the Advancing the Conversation on Scaling National Informal STEM Programs conference, funded by the National Science Foundation.
NAPE Education Foundation: Make the Future Campaign
The NAPE Education Foundation is launching its Make the Future program which aims to encourage women and girls, especially those of color, to take part in STEM education and pursue advanced manufacturing careers. This opportunity provides free methods and tools to help educators, afterschool providers, and employers break down barriers for women interested in pursuing STEM education paths and high-demand advanced manufacturing careers.
Citizen science is defined as the involvement of the general public in scientific research. Citizen science unites expertise from educators, scientists, data managers, and others to help speed innovation by sharing insights across disciplines. The California Academy of Sciences developed this Toolkit to help integrate citizen science projects into classroom curricula or afterschool programming.
These resources will help create an environment that maximizes the learning of all students and increase the participation of people with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
National Girls Collaborative Project: State of Girls and Women in STEM
The National Girls Collaborative Project has updated its resource on the reality for girls and women in the STEM sectors. This report presents compelling statistics and research and focuses on K-12 Education, Higher Education, and the STEM Workforce. To access the resource, click here.
These staff development tools are designed to assist in training frontline staff and volunteers to facilitate quality STEM learning experiences for youth to engage in engineering practices, including: defining the problem, design a solution, testing, responding to failure, and optimization.
The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE) has published a new guide for educators on how to find, prepare, and work with STEM experts. It includes suggestions for ways to involve experts in STEM programming, strategies for finding different types of expertise, including those with Indigenous knowledge, and more!
The IF/THEN® Collection is the largest free resource of its kind dedicated to increasing access to authentic and relatable images of real women in STEM. In this digital library, you will find thousands of photos, videos and other assets that authentically represent women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The content features careers as diverse as shark tagging, fashion design, and training Olympic athletes, and nudges public perceptions in a more realistic direction that illuminates the importance of STEM everywhere. The IF/THEN® Collection is the largest free resource of its kind dedicated to increasing access to authentic and relatable images of real women in STEM. | IF/THEN® Collection (ifthencollection.org)
Keeping the Lights On: S&C Electric Field Trip
By: Naomi Oster Happy Lights On Afterschool 2024! This year, on October 24, 2024, ACT Now’s celebration of the national day for afterschool included a field trip I convened for thirty-six middle schoolers to S&C Electric, on Chicago’s north side. When our amazing partners at the National Girls Collaborative Project and Wesco, reached out, interested…
Students Lose Afterschool Programs, Staff Laid Off—Policymakers Must Take Action!
Press Release – September 24, 2024 Chicago, Illinois – 13,500 students across the state have lost afterschool programs and 1,000 staff roles have been eliminated. Organizations gathered today at Aspira Business and Finance High School for a rally to ask policymakers to take swift action to rectify this issue. You can watch the full rally…
Refugees and Asylum-Seekers: How Community-Based Organizations Are Supporting Newcomers
Alishba Shah, Policy and Communications Intern Summer 2024 Finding work and going to school is hard enough as it is; imagine having to do that and so much more while not even understanding or speaking the language everyone else around you uses. That is how many migrants and refugees feel when they first come to…
Exciting Opportunity: Apply Now for ACT Now’s FY25 STEM Club!
Are you passionate about fostering a love for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in young minds? Are you struggling with where to start in implementing STEM activities into your program? If so, we have great news for you! ACT Now is excited to announce that applications for our FY25 STEM Club are now open!…
May RPSA Blog!
As we approach the end of fiscal year 24′, this month’s RPSA blog aims to provide insights into eCornerstone, the future of RPSA funding, and additional funding resources available for potential grantees. Grantees have been requested by IDHS to backdate program information to July 1, 2023, and input data into eCornerstone. This includes vital details…
Curriculum Reviews: CATCH, TinkRworks, and Afterschool Math Plus
This month we have reviewed another three curriculums, covering topics of STEM, Sports/Recreation and Math in afterschool. Kids Club (OST) By CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) TAGS: Physical Education, elementary, middle school, health and fitness, activities, games, healthy eating, The Kids Club from CATCH is a very accessible set of curricular resources for jumpstarting…
