Vermont Afterschool is proud to be partnering with STEM Next to make out-of-school STEM opportunities a reality for Vermont’s young people, to help them thrive in STEM and beyond. Through afterschool and summer programs, we believe every child should have STEM opportunities that inspire curiosity, innovation, and the critical thinking skills for whatever comes next.
March brings new ways to spark curiosity, explore careers, and connect STEM learning to the real world through space exploration, health sciences, and computer science. These opportunities are designed for afterschool and summer programs looking for flexible, engaging, and career-connected STEM experiences.
The AI Innovation Challenge, created by STEM Next Opportunity Fund in partnership with the Panasonic Foundation, gives high school youth the opportunity to explore those ideas while competing for prize funding for their afterschool program. Youth identify a local or global issue they care about and use AI as a research and development partner to research the issue, explore possible solutions, and strengthen their thinking. Throughout the challenge, youth lead the work while educators provide guidance and support.
What’s the Prize?
Programs with winning projects will also be featured in STEM Next communications and may be invited to participate in future opportunities.
Who Can Participate?
Eligible afterschool and other structured out-of-school-time programs serving youth in grades 9-12 across the United States are encouraged to participate. No prior AI experience or coding skills are required for youth or educators. After signing up, educators receive a free AI Innovation Challenge Toolkit with facilitation guidance, AI safety resources, templates, and everything needed to confidently support youth throughout the challenge.
Final project submissions are due November 19, 2026.
The Launching Futures Toolkit, created by STEM Next and powered by RTX, equips educators with practical resources to connect young people to the fast-growing world of space and aerospace careers. Built around the four strategies in STEM Next’s Career-Connected Learning Framework, the toolkit is designed to make it easy for afterschool and informal educators to bring aeronautical and aerospace careers to life. Inside, you’ll find:
Click here to access the toolkit.
Join STEM Next and RTX on September 15 at 2 pm ET/11 am PT for the webinar launch of this toolkit to learn more about how to bring aerospace career learning to your program. Click here to register.
Discover ways to use natural materials to represent math problems, find and understand math in nature, and use math to investigate authentic outdoor math problems. Gain access to a hub of resources to explore, as well as activities you can use immediately. This is a free, LIVE, virtual workshop that will last one hour. For more information email acres@mmsa.org.
When: 12:30pm EST | 9:30am PST Sept. 14
On September 16 at 6pm ET/3pm PT, join STEM Next for a career chat with leaders in the AI and tech spaces. Teens will learn more about what the future of work may look like, and what skills they will need to for evolving tech careers.
Why you should be there:
A recording of this panel will be available after the event. Register here to either join us live or to be the first to receive a copy of the recording.
Tilly Lockey is one of the youngest and most inspiring women in STEM fields, known for championing the fusion of AI, technology and human empowerment. A UK-based artist and bionic arm ambassador, she co-developed the AI-powered Hero Arm with Open Bionics from the age of nine, helping transform the future of prosthetics. After losing both hands to meningococcal septicaemia as a baby, Tilly turned adversity into innovation, creating lightweight, muscle-responsive bionic limbs that prioritise individuality and function. Ready to build your own prosthetic arm? Check out the resources below:
Hands On Activity: The Power in Prosthetics (Grade 3–5) — Youth create a functional prosthetic hand that will be useful for day-to-day tasks. The prototype will need to include moveable fingers that bend to pick up a small Styrofoam cup, a large foam die, and a whiteboard eraser. Youth will be paired into groups of two to begin planning, designing, and building their prototype. Each group will then test and evaluate their prototype by using it to pick up materials as listed above. Youth will improve their prototype as needed.
Hands On Activity: Make a Robot Hand Using Drinking Straws (Grades 3–8) — Imagine how cool it would be to build a robot hand that could grasp a ball or pick up a toy. In this robotics engineering project, you will learn how to use drinking straws, sewing thread, and a little glue to make a remarkably lifelike and useful robot hand. What will you design your robot hand to do? Pick up a can? Move around a ping pong ball? It is up to you! With these starting instructions, you can design any type of hand. You will simulate human finger anatomy as the basis for a fully functional robot hand that is easy to build and does not require complicated tools.
Middle schoolers don’t have to pick a career yet—but research shows they’re already curious and eager to explore what’s possible. This article provides 8 concrete ways educators can spark career exploration and knowledge in middle school youth. Click Here to Read the Article.
