For the 54 million kids in the U.S., every afternoon holds the possibility to build, invent and discover.
Futures at Stake
Why Out-of-School STEM?
Afterschool and summer programs are ideal spaces for young people to fall in love with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through hands-on activities, yet only 10% of youth in the U.S. have access to these opportunities. That’s nearly 49 million young minds sitting on the sidelines — minds that could create the next breakthroughs in AI, medicine, or space exploration.
By 2030, the U.S. is projected to face a shortfall of 3.4 million STEM workers, about 15% of the workforce needed, underscoring the need for STEM Next’s unique efforts to cultivate the next generation of innovators.
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that 65% of today’s youth will be faced with careers in sectors like AI or space exploration that do not yet exist.
Today, just 10% of kids in the U.S. have access to out-of-school time STEM, excluding millions from the economic opportunity and potential that these careers hold.
Why STEM Next?
STEM Next is a national nonprofit leading the movement to make the power of STEM discovery available to all young people through afterschool and summer programs. Our systems-based approach has engaged 12.5 million young people in STEM across the nation — and we’re on a mission to excite 20 million more by 2030.
Our Work
We’re exciting young people’s curiosity and confidence in STEM through career-connected learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
Our Approach
We’re leading the national movement to expand access to high-quality STEM experiences outside of school.
Our Impact
Our efforts over the past decade have scaled programs that built STEM capacity in more than 175,000 programs nationwide and engaged more than 390,000 educators across all 50 states.
Our Impact
Results
No one understands this work better. Building, growing and expanding access to afterschool and summer STEM is who we are–and we have the track record to prove it.
Youth Reached
Our work has positively impacted 12.5 million young people through out-of-school STEM.
Programs Impacted
Local afterschool and summer programs have been directly impacted by our work.
Informal Educators Engaged
Our comprehensive resources have supported nearly 400,000 out-of-school educators nationwide.
Report Belonging
100% of the 2023 Flight Crew program participants reported that they feel like they belong in STEM.
Latest Updates
STEM Next Joins Crayola Creativity Week
STEM Next is proud to be an official partner of the 2026…
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Exploring the Afterschool STEM Educator Landscape: New Report from the Afterschool Alliance
The Afterschool STEM Hub released a new report on the challenges, needs,…
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Afterschool STEM is the Career Pathway Infrastructure to Make America’s Talent Strategy Real
Afterschool is where employers can easily and rapidly plug into an existing…
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Shifting Math Narratives Through Afterschool: Insights From our Virtual Panel
STEM Next’s new math brief and panel explore how afterschool programs build…
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Engineering Your Tech Future: A Youth-Led Career Chat with Qualcomm and Aramco
STEM Next’s Career Chat with Aramco Americas and Qualcomm showed teens how…
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