Spring is upon us, and there are many STEM activities to look forward to! I am happy to report that in-person events and activities have started to re-open. Take a look at what’s coming up in the next few months.
It’s also time to register for summer camps, and I have included ideas in the second part of the article.
Spring events for everyone
In March and April, universities around the country will hold Splash programs. Students get to take classes taught by college students. Many programs are free! Visit Learning Unlimited’s site to see which universities offer programs. Registration is required.
It’s National Robot Week April 2-10, a time to inspire students in robotics and STEM-related fields and share the excitement of robotics across all ages. Check out events around the country and get ideas on exploring robotics with iRobot Education.
On April 6, the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture present Afterschool Animal Encounters: Super Skeletons, a free virtual event for families. Join museum staffers Arielle and Javier as they lead you in a 45-minute program with live animals and specimens from the museum collections. This event will be fun for the whole family, so bring your questions and a sense of wonder. Advance registration is required.
Discover workshops in science, coding, creativity, history, and more with Microsoft Store’s free virtual online workshops for students. Visit the website to check out the variety of programs and sign up.
MetroHacks relaunched EmpowHer, a free, national team-based competition for high school girls to create a computer science-based project addressing an issue in their community. Submission deadline June 20. Register by creating an account.
Spring events in Massachusetts
Splash programs are being held at universities throughout Massachusetts this month. Students get to take classes taught by college students. They each have different registration dates, so click on each link for specific details.
March 19-20: Attend MAHacks, New England’s bi-annual hackathon for high school students in Boston. This is a free event, and no experience is required. Register now.
March 20: Clark University Splash for grades 5-12. Attend in-person or online. Register now.
March 26: Northeastern Splash for grades 9-12. In-person. Free event. Register now.
March 27: Harvard Museums of Science & Culture is hosting the Amazing Archaeology Fair at Harvard. Experience an epic day of archaeological events with the family! Free with Museum admission. Admissions reservation is required.
April 2: Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s annual TouchTomorrow festival is back in person this year at Polar Park in Worcester. This family-friendly festival features hands-on experiments, research lab activities, and interactive exhibits for all ages. The event is free and open to the public. Register now.
April 9: Brandeis Splash for middle and high school students. In-person. Register for this free event.
April 10: Boston College Splash for grades 7-12. Register now.
April 21: The Christa McAuliffe Center in Framingham, MA is running a one-day program for students to engage in a space mission simulation! Participants are immersed in a simulated space environment where they manipulate equipment, conduct experiments, solve problems, and work together in real-world STEM contexts. April’s program has a particular focus on planet Earth in celebration of Earth Day! The mission simulation is complemented by a full-dome film in the Framingham State University planetarium and hands-on science activities. Recommended for grades 6-8. Cost: $35 per participant, and registration will open in April.
April 23-24: Harvard Splash for grades 9-12. In-person, register now.
April 30: Attend Science on State Street, a popular Massachusetts science festival. It’s a free interactive science festival for families!
April 30: At the annual Girl Scouts STEM Conference and Expo in Waltham, girls hear from keynote speakers and participate in activities and experiments created specifically for different ages. Cost: $30. Register now.
May 4: Harvard Museums of Science & Culture is hosting the After-School Animal Encounters: Ancient Ancestors, a free virtual event for families. Join museum staffers Javier and Arielle as they lead you in a 45-minute program with live animals and specimens from the museum collections. Advance registration is required.
May 15: Harvard Museums of Science & Culture is hosting Colossal Heads of Mexico: Family Workshop. Touch a huge modern replica in the museum for one day that is based on Monument One, The King. Explore artifacts with an educator that show Olmec influence on architecture, the ball game, written language, and pigments. Cost: $5 members / $10 non members. Advance registration is required.
Jr Tech is hosting the Girls STEM Summit on Sunday, October 23, at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. This is a great career-focused STEM day for girls, and I’m glad to see it’s back in person this fall. Cost: $70/student. Register now.
Register for summer camps!
Now is the time to sign kids and teens up for camps and pre-college programs. Many programs are being held in person this year, some are offering both in-person and virtual, and others are virtual-only. Check with your local organizations and see what they’re offering.
If you’re looking for an online summer camp, take a look at my online STEM classes article. Many organizations offer their classes during the summer and some even create unique programs tailored for the summer. These programs are offered live and are led by instructors for a fee.
Consider a cybersecurity camp! Cybersecurity is an important and growing field within computer science. Teens can learn about this exciting field before heading to college by attending a summer camp that will teach them the basics, build their skills, and challenge their puzzle-solving abilities. AFA CyberCamps and GenCyber (a free program) are the two most significant cybersecurity summer programs, with hundreds of camps held around the country each summer. Visit their websites to learn more and find programs. And, get more ideas for programs in my cybersecurity summer camps article.
For my Massachusetts readers, these articles will help you find a camp or program for all ages and interests.
- 100+ STEM Summer Camps in Massachusetts
- Summer STEM Programs Offered by Massachusetts Universities
- Engineering Summer Camps in Massachusetts
Image: WPI TouchTomorrow
