Embracing Orange Shirt Day: A Connection and the Role of Afterschool Programs
By: Dawn Marie Johnson, Community Advocate, South Dakota Orange Shirt Day is a day that hits home, reminding us of the painful history of the residential school system and the inc
New Mexico’s Quest to Advance Young Women in STEM: Jordyn Montoya’s Story
The New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network (NMOST) was aware of the gender gap in STEM. They knew the research and were motivated to address the issue in the state of New Mexico. Jo
Bridging the Gap Between Traditions and Afterschool: A Personal Journey
By: Dawn Marie Johnson, Community Advocate, South Dakota Life weaves beautiful moments that define who we are, nudging us to act from the heart. For me, the journey of bringing t
Leveraging Wonder
Do you remember what it was like to lay on your back in the sweet grass or a dusty knoll and be transfixed by the wonder of the night sky? I do. Summer nights meant playing outside
Looking Beyond the Classroom to Get Students Back into Learning
Everywhere we turn, we see headlines and stories hyper-focused on student “learning loss” with the release of daunting new data assessing student learning. It can be overwhelmi
Summer of Love for STEM: Seven Fun and Family-Friendly Ideas for a Summer of STEM
Summer is coming. So is the search for ideas to support summer learning. With less structure and more time for self-directed play, summer is an ideal time to encourage children’s
Celebrating Youth Voices in STEM on International Day of the Girl
Guest blog from Suzanne Eisenberg, a freshman at New Mexico Tech, majoring in astrophysics, and recipient of NMOST’s Advancing Young Women Scholarship When I was younger, I never
From Niche to Necessary: Scale and Sustainability Lessons from the FUSE Initiative
The Noyce Foundation and now, STEM Next Opportunity Fund, champion and support effective practices, cross-sector partnerships, and measuring the impact of STEM learning. We are e
New (free!) Learning Resources from National Geographic and Mott Foundation
Real-world problems call for critical thinking and real-world solutions and afterschool programs are a great place for kids to learn, collaborate, and figure out how to make their
The Role of Books and Reading in STEM: An Overview of the Benefits for Children and the Opportunities to Enhance the field
STEM Next and The Molina Foundation, have extensive experience working with early childhood centers, after-school programs and K-12 campuses throughout the nation. We have seen tha