We know what works to engage youth in STEM. Now we must ensure every young person has the opportunity.
The majority of today’s youth will be faced with careers that don’t yet exist in sectors like AI, space exploration and others. Without immediate expansion of afterschool and summer STEM programs, millions of young people risk being left out of these future opportunities.
Less than half of today’s youth have awareness of STEM-related careers and the steps on how to attain them.
Urgent needs for durable, transferable skills are evident, with 75% of employers struggling to find candidates with the necessary competencies.
Youth in out-of-school STEM programs who develop an interest in STEM in middle school are seven times more likely to report STEM interest in college.
When a middle schooler in a code camp shouts ‘I got it!’ after debugging her code for the first time, her entire future shifts. That spark is what STEM Next is all about—ensuring every young person has the chance to discover their potential through hands-on STEM exploration outside of school.
Afterschool and summer programs create immersive STEM experiences that go beyond what’s possible in a typical classroom — which is why they’re so vital to preparing youth for the future of work.
Research shows these deeper engagements with STEM outside of school not only help young people build essential skills like problem-solving and teamwork, they help kids see themselves as future scientists and innovators, making them more likely to pursue STEM careers.
Students consistently report that participating in STEM-focused out-of-school programs drives skill development, deeper career knowledge, a sense of belonging in STEM and a more positive attitude about STEM.
80% say they gain deeper knowledge of STEM careers
78% report a more positive attitude toward STEM
73% feel a stronger sense of STEM identity
72% see an increase in perseverance and critical thinking
Our comprehensive 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.
The out-of-school-time field isn’t part of the formal K–12 system—which is exactly what makes it so innovative and effective for engaging youth in STEM. Program providers can get creative and adapt quickly to evolving needs and trends.
But this flexibility means there’s no built-in infrastructure to guide the quality of STEM programming, scale effective practices, or train staff consistently across the country.
That’s where STEM Next comes in.
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.
Building on the 25 years of investment in out-of-school STEM learning by the Noyce Foundation, STEM Next leaned into hundreds of powerful partnerships to make out-of-school STEM opportunities a reality for millions of young people across all 50 states.
Through our investments in data collection, we’ve gained critical insights into how to spark and sustain kids’ interest in STEM. We continue refining practices to ensure all young people have access to high-quality STEM experiences.
STEM Next has moved the out-of-school STEM field forward by scaling evidence-based approaches, building knowledge, and expanding capacity. In doing so, we’ve equipped hundreds of thousands of educators, leaders, and policymakers to deliver more effective programming and broaden access for millions more youth.
We have connected more than 12.5 million young people to the STEM learning opportunities they could not get in school, expanding their critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for the future.
Our theory of change in action has resulted in big impacts for millions of young people and hundreds of thousands of educators across the U.S. STEM Next is setting a new big goal to inspire 20 million more young people with STEM opportunities by 2030.
Help us shape the future for a STEM-ready generation.
