Out-of-School-Time Opportunities
Beyond GEMS, what types of other empowering out-of-school-time STEM programs and opportunities exist?
Getting girls engaged in interesting out-of-school time STEM learning opportunities has many benefits. STEM programs can spark ongoing curiosity and promote skill development. They can help girls see how far-reaching STEM is and build confidence. They also provide girls with a chance to connect with other girls who like STEM, creating a sense of community and sisterhood. The links below include both girls-only and coed programs and opportunities.
Out-of-School-Time Opportunities
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Girls’ STEM Programs
- The Connectory—showcases out-of-school time STEM opportunities such as afterschool clubs, summer camps, citizen science events, maker fairs, and one-day events
- Engineer Girl —a directory of university engineering programs for high schoolers
- Million Girls Moonshot—aims to prepare and inspire a million girls in STEM through afterschool and summer programs
- Expanding your Horizons—conferences and resources to expand girls’ interest in STEM
- Girls Inc.— empowers girls to be strong, smart, and bold; 1,500 sites in 350 cities with STEM programs like Eureka! and Operation SMART
- Girl Scouts—offers girls opportunities to get involved in lots of activities, with a particular emphasis on STEM
- Scientific Adventures for Girls in Oakland, CA—runs STEM programs for girls
- Science Club for Girls in Cambridge, MA—connects girls with high school mentors and college STEM majors
- Girlstart in Texas—empowers girls in STEM
- Spin (Stem Paths Innovation Network) Girls in Seattle, WA—builds leadership and STEM interest among girls of color
- uCodeGirl in North Dakota—enrichment programs and mentorship opportunities
- Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program—for exceptional students with a strong interest in science and engineering
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Tips for Parents Looking for STEM Programs for their Girls
Spend some time exploring the links below with your girl to see if there’s an out-of-school program or event near you. If not, consider traveling to cultural institutions such as museums, zoos, or libraries to investigate STEM. To explore existing out-of-school time STEM opportunities by geographic location, check out The Connectory.
If there isn’t an out-of-school time STEM club or event for your daughter’s age group readily available to you locally, consider starting your own. This GEMS website offers lots of support for starting a GEMS Club–see the “GEMS Clubs” and “For Educators” tabs. In addition, there are lots of great program models in the links below.
Coed STEM Programs
- Pathways to Science—a listing of coed STEM programs and internships for K-8 and 9-12, many are free or offer scholarships
- Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK)—3-week summer program run by the National Society of Black Engineers for grades 3-5
- Imagine Science—a collaboration of Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc., National 4-H Council, and YMCA USA to encourage kids underrepresented in STEM—check your local clubs for out-of-school time STEM classes
- FIRST LEGO League Robotics—robotics team competitions for grades PreK-8 centered around an annual theme
- Science Olympiad—a science competition involving 5,000 teams at 375 live and remote tournaments in all 50 states
- Upward Bound—prepares low-income and first-generation college-bound students for success in college and careers; run in 960 U.S. colleges—check for schools near you under the “awards” tab
- NASA Internships—programs for kids age 16 and older
- MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs—free programs for highly motivated middle and high school kids from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds
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Tech Programs
- Girls Who Code—programs for girls in grades 3-12, plus college; offers 2 free summer programs for high schoolers
- Technovation—Girls, mentors, and educators working together to learn and apply technology skills to real-world problems
- BridgeUp STEM Scholars—a 2-year program for girls and gender nonconforming youth in grades 9-11 that includes a computer science course, research internship, mentorship, and support community at Georgia Tech
- Techgirls—an Australian program reinforced by “Tech Girls are Superheroes” children’s books
- Code Like a Girl—an Australian group offering coding classes, internships, and events for girls
- Code.org—offers coding activities, courses, and resources like videos
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