Opportunity Guide I Summer, Enrichment & Activities Guide
For a child interested in discovering more about the STEM subject areas - science, technology, engineering and math - there are numerous school-based, out-of-school and summer enrichment programs where she can build skills and have fun. From joining a math circle to competing in math competitions, there are many math-based extracurricular activities to discover and enjoy. If your child is tech-minded and loves figuring out how things work, look for engineering, robotics, and computer classes to engage her imagination. If her interest is in the laboratory sciences, there are many unique, hands-on after school science programs themed around particular areas of science that often include hands-on lab experiences. A child who is passionate about and excels in any of the STEM subject areas will find increasingly rigorous and selective opportunities available to her.
- Want to put your brain to the test in glorious competition? The Academic Games Leagues of America National Tournament, known by competitors simply as “Nationals,” tests students’ understanding and… Read more
- Help kids save the planet! For 14 years, Action for Nature has been honoring Eco-Heroes: 8-16 year olds who have completed a substantial project to help sustain our planet. Eco-Heroes have gone onto… Read more
- The Advantage Testing Foundation Math Prize for Girls is the largest math prize for girls in the world. Each fall at MIT, nearly 300 young female mathematicians compete in our challenging test of… Read more
- The AASM Foundation hosts an annual High School Video Contest, which focuses on themes meant to motivate teens to prioritize the importance of sleep in their lives. The contest is open for video… Read more
- This award is designed to encourage high school students to explore the world of the brain and nervous system through laboratory research, identify and reward those students whose scientific skill… Read more
- Computer enthusiasts! The American Computer Science League (ACSL) holds competitions each year in which students grades 3-12 are challenged with solving computer programming problems. Competitors are… Read more
- The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) is the second exam in the series of exams used to challenge bright students on the path toward choosing the team that represents the United… Read more
- The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) consist of a series of increasingly difficult tests for students in middle school and high school. The AMC sets the standard in the United States for… Read more
- For high school students and exceptional middle school students interested in mathematics, this the American Regions Mathematics League is the MLB, and its annual competition is the World Series. But… Read more
- National DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953. This year's DNA Day was on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.… Read more
- FLEET is a web-based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competition that is free to U.S. students in grades nine through twelve. FLEET utilizes the youth friendly model of gamification… Read more
- When technology connects with creativity, incredible ideas come to life. Each summer, Apple invites thousands of talented minds from around the world to join us and turn their ideas into reality. … Read more
- Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) is a free educational program for 5th through 8th grade students where students design, build and race solar powered cars using hands-on engineering skills and principles of… Read more
- The Horkheimer Charitable Fund sponsors four youth awards annually: two service awards, an imaging award, and a journalism award. These award programs began due to the generosity of the late Jack… Read more
- The Astronomical League sponsors the National Young Astronomer Award (NYAA) to recognize the outstanding astronomical research achievements of high-school-age students throughout the United States.
- BOOST is a middle and high school-based robotics competition where teams compete head-to-head. Each year a new challenge is chosen based on real-world issues. Winners of local competitions may… Read more
- Take plywood and a box filled with items such as PVC pipe, screws and other hardware, an irrigation valve cover, piano wire, aluminum paint grid, a bicycle inner tube, a BRAIN (BEST Robotics Advanced… Read more
- The BioGENEius Challenges provide high school students the opportunity to compete and be recognized for outstanding research in biotechnology. Students have the opportunity to apply and compete for… Read more
- To provide an exciting, hands-on experience through business/education partnerships to build the current and future workforce needed by the manufacturing industry. BotsIQ is a manufacturing… Read more
- The Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs is a New England-based nonprofit with an international reach that has a mission to inspire and empower the next generation of ocean caretakers through art,… Read more
- Explain a neuroscience concept so that a broad audience can understand the wonders of the brain and mind. Anyone can enter! Work with a member of the Society for Neuroscience to produce an… Read more
- Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars), is the premier STEM competition for middle school students. The program is founded and produced by the Society… Read more
- Since 2000, the Brower Youth Award, the flagship event of the New Leaders Initiative program, has recognized outstanding youth leaders who are making strides in the environmental movement. The public… Read more
- The Challenge is an academic competition for students in grades 5-8, where the excitement and value of chemistry takes center stage! By middle school, most U.S. students have not studied chemistry as… Read more
- The Coleopterists Society, an international organization of professionals and hobbyists interested in the study of beetles, has established a program to recognize young people studying beetles. The… Read more
- Members of the U.S. House of Representatives host a district-wide Congressional App Challenges for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to… Read more
- The Conrad Challenge is an annual, multi-phase innovation and entrepreneurial competition that encourages young adults to leave their mark on the world. Each year, teams of 2-5 students, ages 13-18,… Read more
- CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program. At the center of CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. The competition puts teams of high school and middle… Read more
- The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 scholarships to extraordinary young people, 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece of work. Application categories… Read more
- In the Challenge, teams research, interpret, apply and then design an infographic that responds to 1 of 5 bioenergy topics. This contest is not held every year, but the materials are provided on the… Read more
- Launched in 1991, the National Science Bowl® (NSB) is a highly competitive science education and academic event among teams of high school and middle school students who compete in a fast-paced… Read more
- Sponsored by PBS Kids, these contests challegne kids to design and build a structure and to post their results online. Projects are voted on by other kids. A fun project to do at home.
- To develop opportunities that inspire the global community of learners to utilize diverse approaches in applying 21st century skills and creativity. The Destination Imagination program is a fun,… Read more
- The annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to submit a 1-2 minute video describing a unique solution to an everyday problem for the chance to win $25,… Read more
- CYBERMISSION is a web-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition for students in grades six through nine that promotes self-discovery and enables all students to… Read more
- Comprehensive listing of engineering competitions for students in grades K - 12
- Every year, the EngineerGirl website sponsors a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The topic and detailed instructions for the contest are posted in the fall with a… Read more
- Every year, the EngineerGirl website sponsors a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The topic and detailed instructions for the contest are posted in the fall with a… Read more
- The Envirothon is world’s largest high school-level natural resources education competition. NCF-Envirothon is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization established to coordinate the delivery of an… Read more
- The ExploraVision competition for K-12 students engages the next generation in real world problem solving with a strong emphasis on STEM. ExploraVision challenges students envision and communicate… Read more
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(… Read more
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(… Read more
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(… Read more
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501(… Read more
- Every year, in partnership with Science Buddies, Fluor transforms one of its own internal employee engineering challenges into a student-centric challenge in time for Engineers Week (in February).… Read more
- Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase… Read more
- Future Engineers hosts online innovation challenges for K-12 students. In 2014, Future Engineers launched its innaugural 3D printing in space challenge, sponsored by the ASME Foundation with… Read more
- FPSPI 's mission is to develop the ability of young people globally to design and achieve positive futures through problem solving using critical and creative thinking. FPSPI is a dynamic… Read more
- The idea of a superhero armed with fantastic powers and tremendous technology has mesmerized the world for nearly a century. The ability to fly without wings, climb buildings like a gecko or see… Read more
- Girls' Adventures in Math (GAIM) is a themed math competition for upper elementary and middle school girls, followed by strategy-based games. The day begins with a 60-minute, 16-question Round 1 and… Read more