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    Check out our latest guide: Your Future in STEM 2024!

    STEM Summer Programs

    STEM Summer Programs for Teens

    Careers involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) currently have the most job openings and offer the best entry-level salaries for college grads—estimated to be 30% more than average.

    We have researched and curated the largest online collection of summer STEM programs for students in grades 7-12, many of them pre-college summer programs that take place on college campuses. Attending one of these summer STEM programs is a great way for middle and high school students to experience college and learn more about potential STEM career paths.

    Why Attend a STEM Program This Summer?

    STEM summer programs for teens allow high schoolers to develop their understanding in core subject areas that will matter to them now and in the future. Because summer STEM programs for Teens are created not only to educate but also to be fun, teens who are only marginally interested in STEM subjects will find their curiosity sparked by these kinds of programs.

    SCIENCE

    Summer STEM programs for teens in the sciences offer hands-on experience designed to increase a students’ ability to grasp critical scientific concepts. Great teen summer science/STEM programs focus on the scientific process and how to formulate and test hypotheses, allowing students to significantly improve their scientific knowledge.

    Some example topics for science-related STEM summer programs include:

    Jump down to our full list of STEM summer programs

    TECHNOLOGY

    Summer STEM programs for teens with an emphasis on technology can help teens boost their tech proficiency, both giving them a broad foundation in technology and helping them prepare for future college studies and even careers.

    Technology can refer to a huge range of potential studies, covering things as varied as the development of machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer hardware and software, drones, robotics, and a lot more.

    Some example topics for technology-related STEM summer programs include:

    ENGINEERING

    Summer STEM programs for teens with an emphasis on engineering can be great for high school students who think they may want to work designing and building things.

    Engineering can be useful not just in industrial scenarios, like working on an oil rig or a car plant, but also for design-related needs, where an engineer helps the function of an object work within the form imagined by a designer. In some cases, engineers work with inspectors to help them better understand the objects they inspect, sharing both practical and design knowledge.

    STEM summer programs with an engineering focus can be a great way for young people who are curious about a future career designing and making things to test the waters, and see if these kinds of studies are a good fit for them.

    Some example topics for engineering-related STEM summer programs include:

    • Computer engineering
    • Environmental engineering
    • Industrial engineering
    • Software engineering

    MATH

    Summer STEM programs for teens with a math focus can increase a student’s math skills through study and unique teaching techniques. Teen summer math/STEM programs emphasize one of the most important foundational skills a student can have—mathematics!—while also preparing them for future careers that might involve math.

    Some example topics for math-related STEM summer programs include:

    • Entrepreneurship
    • Physics
    • . . . many of the other programs listed above, since math is a key skill required for the majority STEM fields

    SUMMER STEM PROGRAMS FOR GIRLS

    Historically, far more men than women enter STEM fields.

    Why is that?

    Because the stereotypical image many people have in their head when asked to picture the kind of person that might work in a STEM field—a person wearing a lab coat, for instance, holding beakers or dealing with complicated computations—is of a man.

    But things are changing. More and more women are entering STEM fields. Lana Verschage, director of

    Women in Computing at the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology, says that the number of women in her school’s incoming class has nearly doubled since she started in the position in 2014.

    One big thing that is helping include more women in STEM fields is outreach—simply letting women know that there are opportunities out there for them.

    Part of this effort has included the growth of STEM summer programs just for girls. These programs offer young women the chance to try out different STEM fields when they’re young, laying the foundation for future careers in STEM areas.

    There are also several organizations out there that are empowering young women and encouraging them to enter careers in technology and STEM-related fields.

    STEM VS. STEAM

    You may have heard of STEM but have you heard of STEAM?

    STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics—and it’s the addition of that A for Art that sets STEAM apart from STEM studies.

    STEAM summer programs focus not just on developing core STEM skills but also on incorporating creativity into those pursuits.

    Research is starting to show that embracing art and adding it to more traditional STEM subjects can help students get excited about subjects they may not have been interested in previously, as well as helping students find creative ways to approach complex problems.

    Read more about the benefits of STEAM programs or start browsing our programs today!

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