Voices from the Field: STEM and STEAM

Source: California Afterschool Network

By Sam Piha

Carol Tang, Ph.D, is an expert on science in afterschool and she is also the Senior Vice President for Learning and Public Engagement at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. We interviewed Carol regarding STEM and STEAM in afterschool and her responses are below.

Q: Do you think that the movement from STEM to STEAM was a positive one for afterschool providers? What value or advantages did this shift create?

A: The move to broaden the concept of STEM to include arts was really important for afterschool providers and educators in informal organizations. For example, the federal government’s Institute of Museum and Library Services began to fund STEM initiatives in history museums, art museums, and cultural museums beyond science centers, zoos/aquariums, and natural history museums. I think that this helped everyone take STEM out of a silo where it may have seemed inaccessible. 

But what worried me was that STEM and STEAM became acronyms that felt like a checklist of required elements. And I don’t think it should be a strict recipe—my hope is that these concepts are just ways to engage the natural curiosity and foster mastery in young people. I always hope that afterschool providers are inspired by the fact that there are math and science teaching moments everywhere—even during sports, snack time, playground games—and not just during homework help time. When I was the Director of the Coalition for Science Afterschool, we decided to use “science” rather than STEM simply because we were hoping to demystify and personalize the concept and we felt that any acronym made it feel prescribed rather than inclusive.

Q: In your observation of youth programs, what do you think they most often get wrong in the design of STEAM activities? 

A: As always, my personal opinion is that when afterschool experiences prioritize school standards and academic outcomes, we are not doing what we do best for young people. I think when youth programs do not feel confident about leading STEAM activities or where they put cognitive goals first, they rely on activities where there is a clear “answer” or where the result is predictable. This is understandable because no practitioner wants to have an activity that doesn’t fit into the available time slot, are hard to set up/clean up, and where participants don’t get the answers to the questions they raise. This is true for both science AND art projects so it’s not unique to STEAM. 

So, the best STEAM projects might be the ones where youth are exploring their own interests and they may not get the expected results. Or they may want to work at their own pace or in groups or individually. And maybe most importantly, the best projects might be ones where there are more questions at the end than there are easy answers.

We may have to accept in art, science, and STEAM projects that participants may not be satisfied with their results, that they think they “failed,” or they are not finished at the end of the day. I don’t think it’s easy to design high-quality STEAM activities but if one accepts these outcomes as still leading to a growth mindset (so important for STEM!) and that it fosters intrinsic curiosity, that allows us to re-define what “high-quality” means.

Q: In your observation of youth programs, what do you think they most often get right in the design of STEAM activities? 

A: What I’ve enjoyed the most in observing afterschool professionals implementing STEAM is that the providers themselves learn to appreciate what science can be. So many of us had bad experiences at some time with math or science in school ourselves and we bring that fear and frustration unintentionally to our work. So, I absolutely love it when the adults in a program realize that STEAM can be fun and engaging and relevant, not just for youth, but for themselves personally.  

I know it sounds cliche but once you realize how much chemistry there is in baking cookies or how much math is used to knit a beanie (and so many engineering examples all around us!), I think we can all relate to STEM a bit more. So, I think the best part of STEAM is how much it engages educators with a growth mindset about science and math. Once STEAM becomes a habit or part of our everyday practice, it doesn’t feel like a chore to incorporate it into our afterschool programming.

Q: Advocates for STEAM claim that activities are more accessible for girls and kids of color. Do you agree?

A: So many studies show that using STEAM approaches or any other integrated and applied approaches to STEM is much more effective for reaching young people who aren’t already interested in science. In fact, this is documented in our national science standards, NGSS, where a whole appendix is dedicated to this topic. I think it’s not just the addition of arts which brings in kids who claim they are “bad at math,” but it’s the fact that young people can see that STEM can be relevant to their own lives and mental well-being.

In this sense, I think STEM and STEAM in afterschool is so critically important. Learning in out-of-school settings can be more meaningful than learning it in a classroom because afterschool is more aligned to the “real world.” You can succeed in STEAM without rote answers and where failures can be more “educational” than predicted results.

This more accurately reflects what scientific research really is. Scientists will say that what excites them most is what we DON’T know about the world around us! In school, we learn about what we already discovered. In afterschool and in science, we experience and discover new things about the world and about ourselves.

Source: www.pexels.com

Q: STEAM seems to favor collaboration and having young people work on teams. How is this reflected in the adult world of science being conducted?



A: One stereotype of a scientist is a “mad scientist” who works alone in the dark bringing evil to the world! In fact, most science today is done collaboratively either in person or virtually. These days, we are often collaborating with someone who may live thousands of miles away and we connect through virtual meetings, texts, shared documents. So having STEAM activities that are collaborative and project-based is more similar to what professional scientists and engineers do. 

Another similarity is that on many professional work settings, teams are composed of people with different skills and talents. Collectively, they can look at challenges and solutions from different perspectives. Some folks may be computer modelers while others are in the field observing wildlife and yet others are performing chemical extractions in a laboratory. That also can mirror what happens in out-of-school time projects where youth have to discover what they are good at, how those skills complement each other and how they have to learn new skills and vocabulary to finish a project. 

And lastly, what makes afterschool STEAM projects more similar to real world science research is that no one knows what the final product will be or even that it would be a successful result. In school, kids know that the activities probably have an “answer” and there is pressure to get a good grade on that project. In afterschool and in real life, there is no guarantee of a successful completion—but the discovery, growth, resilience, persistence and the collaboration itself can be a reward and should be celebrated and enjoyed.

 

MORE ABOUT...

Carol Tang, Ph.D.

Carol Tang, Ph.D. is the Senior Vice President for Learning and Public Engagement at the American Museum of Natural History. Carol joined the Museum in 2024 and oversees the Exhibitions, Education, Science Visualization & Public Engagement, Research & Evaluation, and Global Business Development departments. She previously served as executive director of the Children’s Creativity Museum (CCM) in San Francisco, California. Under her decade- long leadership, CCM increased attendance, underwent strategic planning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and greatly expanded its community partnerships and service—earning recognition for advancing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion from the American Alliance of Museums in 2023. Before leading CCM, Tang was the Senior Science Educator at the California Academy of Sciences (Cal Academy) and directed early childhood, youth, lifelong learning, and educator professional development offerings; she then oversaw the development of natural history exhibitions, planetarium and aquarium design, and public art installations when Cal Academy reopened in a new building in 2008. She has also directed the Coalition for Science After School, a national STEM education organization, and was a Program Officer leading Out-of-School Time grantmaking strategy at the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. 

Voices from the Field: Sally Baker from The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM (Part 2)

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

We continue our interview with Sally Baker, CEO of The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM.

Q: Advocates for STEAM claim that activities are more accessible for girls and kids of color. Do you agree?

A: Yes, and the research supports it, but with an important caveat: STEAM is only more accessible when it is implemented with genuine intention.

The data on representation in STEM fields is sobering. Women make up only about 28 percent of the STEM workforce, and students of color remain significantly underrepresented in STEM pathways at every level of education. The barriers are not rooted in capability. They are rooted in access, messaging, and whose ways of thinking and knowing have historically been valued in these spaces.

Research tells us that girls begin to internalize the message that they are less naturally gifted in math and science as early as age six, well before they have had a meaningful chance to explore either field. For students of color, the compounding messages about who belongs in STEM fields begin early and persist throughout their education.

This is precisely where the arts become so powerful. The arts are rooted in personal interpretation, cultural expression, and multiple ways of knowing. When students are invited to bring their own stories, perspectives, and creative instincts into the problem-solving process, the playing field shifts. A student who has never seen herself in a science textbook may find her entry point through filmmaking, visual art, or music. A student whose cultural background is rarely reflected in traditional curriculum may find that STEAM gives him a way to address problems that matter deeply to his community.

Arts integration research, consistently shows that integrated learning increases engagement and achievement among underrepresented groups, including girls, students of color, and students from lower income backgrounds. That is not a coincidence. It is evidence that broadening what learning looks like broadens who gets to succeed at it.

So yes, I agree wholeheartedly that STEAM should offer more opportunities for girls and students of color. They are just as capable, just as innovative, and just as deserving of a learning experience that reflects their full potential. The goal of STEAM, done well, is not just to diversify who enters these fields. It is to fundamentally reimagine what those fields can look like when everyone has a seat at the table.

Source: www.pexels.com

Q: STEAM seems to favor collaboration and having young people work on teams. How is this reflected in the adult world of science being conducted?

A: The short answer is that virtually every meaningful scientific discovery of our time has been a collaborative one. STEAM is not teaching students a soft skill. It is preparing them for the actual way that consequential work gets done in the world.

It is worth making an important distinction here between working in groups and working in teams, because they are not the same thing. In a group, tasks are divided, completed separately, and combined at the end to produce a final product. The individuals contribute their pieces, but the thinking largely stays separate. A team functions very differently. In a true team, the sum is greater than its parts. People listen to one another, challenge each other's assumptions, bring their unique knowledge and experience to bear on a shared problem, and arrive at solutions that no single member of the team could have reached alone. That is not just a feel-good idea; it is how modern science actually operates.

Even scientists who spend most of their time working independently in a laboratory rarely work in true isolation. They consult colleagues, present their findings at conferences, publish research that others read and respond to, and participate in a living community of inquiry around their area of study. Every individual contribution pushes the entire field forward. Science is, at its core, a deeply social and collaborative enterprise.

When STEAM asks young people to work in teams to solve real problems, it is not simply a classroom management strategy. It is an authentic reflection of how discovery actually happens, and an investment in developing the kinds of thinkers who know how to listen, build on the ideas of others, and create something together that none of them could have created alone.

MORE ABOUT...

Sally Baker

Sally Baker is the CEO of The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM and she has over 25 years of experience in arts education, arts integration, and STEAM instruction. Half of her career has been spent in arts organizations across the country and the other half in public schools and universities. Previous to this job, which she started in January 2026, she served as the STEAM Program Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education, coaching and advising Georgia schools through the STEAM certification process. Sally believes strongly in the transformative power of integrated learning and have seen STEAM programs solve many of education's "unsolvable" challenges. 

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM is the world’s largest online professional development provider for teachers and leaders using arts-integrated approaches. Founded in 2013 by Susan Riley, a former music educator and administrator, the Institute now serves over 800,000 educators globally each year through its online workshops, resources, courses, conferences and certification.

Voices from the Field: Sally Baker from The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha 

“STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.” – The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

The “A” was added to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and stands for Arts Integration. We interviewed Sally Baker, CEO of The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM to learn more. Below are some of her responses to our questions.  

Q: Do you think that the movement from STEM to STEAM was a positive one for afterschool providers? 

A: Absolutely, and here is why. Though closely related, STEM and STEAM approach learning in meaningfully different ways. Both are rooted in problem solving, encourage students to learn through hands-on exploration, and emphasize the interdisciplinary application of knowledge. The distinction, of course, lies in the addition of the "A," which places the arts as an intentional and purposeful part of the problem-solving process rather than a separate subject. That addition changes everything.

The arts invite personal interpretation and expression in a way that pure STEM does not. When students are given creative agency alongside scientific and mathematical thinking, something shifts. STEAM opens up entirely new access points for students who might not see themselves in traditional STEM pathways, and it gives teachers new and powerful ways to reach learners who think, create, and communicate differently.  

For afterschool providers specifically, this shift is especially significant. Afterschool spaces have always had the freedom to prioritize engagement, joy, and exploration in ways that the traditional school day sometimes cannot. STEAM fits that environment naturally. It creates room for creative innovation and the kind of culturally responsive problem solving that resonates with students beyond the classroom walls.

The move from STEM to STEAM was not simply the addition of an arts class. It was an invitation to reimagine what learning can look like when creativity is treated as essential rather than supplemental. For afterschool providers, that invitation is one worth accepting wholeheartedly.

Q: What value or advantages did this shift create?

A: The advantages of shifting from STEM to STEAM are multifaceted, and so are the challenges. Both are worth understanding honestly. 

On the advantage side, STEAM appeals to a broader and more diverse set of learners. Not every student finds their entry point through science and math. When the arts serve as a launching pad into learning, it creates greater equity in who gets to participate and who sees themselves as a capable problem solver. It also acknowledges something that is simply true: complex problems require collaboration across diverse ways of thinking, and the arts represent one of the most powerful of those ways.



STEAM solutions also tend to have a deeper human impact. The arts are rooted in storytelling, and people are moved and changed through stories in ways that data alone rarely achieves. Consider a water pollution project. A STEM solution might produce a brilliant device that senses and captures pollutants in a local waterway. A STEAM solution might build that same device and pair it with a time-lapsed documentary that tells the story of the water's transformation. The science is equally rigorous, but the story makes people care. It draws in funding, builds community awareness, and connects the issue to the lives of people who might otherwise never have engaged with it.

The honest challenge of STEAM, however, is that it is harder to implement well. For decades, the arts have been treated as supplementary to learning rather than essential to it. As a result, most teachers were never trained in the arts or in arts integration, and effective STEAM educators need to either be willing to bridge those disciplines themselves or know how to reach out to partner teachers, teaching artists, and outside organizations with complementary expertise.

For afterschool providers, finding staff who are equipped and confident to do this work with real intention can be a genuine challenge. But when it happens, and when it is done well, the results are some of the most powerful learning experiences young people can have. 

Source: www.pexels.com

Q: In your observation of youth programs, what do you think they most often get wrong in the design of STEAM activities?  

A: This is an easy one: definition. Most programs miss the fundamental point of what STEAM actually is, and it is not entirely their fault. The term has become so widely used that it has lost much of its meaning. Programming a robot is not STEAM. That is computer science. Conducting a hands-on science experiment is not STEAM. That is hands-on science. Drawing what you have learned in math class is not STEAM. That is drawing.

STEAM is a problem-solving process. It is what happens when students use science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics together to address a real problem: imagining a range of possible solutions, testing them, analyzing data to make improvements, and ultimately presenting their findings to an authentic audience who has a genuine stake in the outcome. That last part matters more than most programs realize. Authentic audience changes everything about how students engage with and invest in their work. 

This does not mean every STEAM experience needs to be a lengthy, elaborate project. But unless students are using those integrated disciplines in service of solving a problem, the activity is not truly STEAM, regardless of what it is called.

I want to be clear that there is nothing wrong with coding robots, conducting experiments, or drawing mathematical concepts. Those are valuable learning experiences in their own right. The problem arises when we call them STEAM and believe we have done the work of integration. We have not. And in doing so, we miss the extraordinary power that genuine STEAM experiences have to develop creative, collaborative, and innovative thinkers who are equipped to tackle the complex challenges their communities and their world will ask of them. 

Q: In your observation of youth programs, what do you think they most often get right in the design of STEAM activities?

A: More than they might realize, actually. Most youth programs have a genuine and intuitive understanding that STEAM should feel different from traditional classroom learning. They know it should be student-driven, hands-on, and engaging, and that instinct is exactly right. When young people are tinkering, building, sculpting, planting, and making something they can call their own, something important is happening, even if the formal framework around it is still developing.

Getting all of the pieces moving together in the right direction is genuinely hard work. But a room full of students who are using both their hands and their minds to explore, collaborate, create, and solve is already on the right track. That energy and engagement is not a small thing. It is actually the foundation that everything else gets built on, and it is something that many more formal educational settings struggle to create at all.

Afterschool programs often underestimate how much that culture of curiosity and making is worth. 

MORE ABOUT...

Sally Baker

Sally Baker is the CEO of The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM and she has over 25 years of experience in arts education, arts integration, and STEAM instruction. Half of her career has been spent in arts organizations across the country and the other half in public schools and universities. Previous to this job, which she started in January 2026, she served as the STEAM Program Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education, coaching and advising Georgia schools through the STEAM certification process. Sally believes strongly in the transformative power of integrated learning and have seen STEAM programs solve many of education's "unsolvable" challenges. 

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM is the world’s largest online professional development provider for teachers and leaders using arts-integrated approaches. Founded in 2013 by Susan Riley, a former music educator and administrator, the Institute now serves over 800,000 educators globally each year through its online workshops, resources, courses, conferences and certification.

Voices from the Field: SF STEAM Academy

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

There’s been a big push for incorporating lessons and activities that use STEAM: science, technology, engineering, art, and math. There are schools and afterschool programs that are dedicated to STEAM frameworks and also many that are working to incorporate individual STEAM activities. Below we offer an interview with Dr. Rebecca Hawley, Executive Director of San Francisco STEAM Academy. (We are developing future blogs and papers on this topic.)

Q: What is STEAM?

A: STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that integrates these subjects through hands-on, real-world projects. Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, STEAM encourages students to ask questions, design solutions, build, test ideas, and think creatively.

Q: Why is STEAM Important?

A: STEAM prepares students for the future by developing critical thinking, creative problem solving, collaboration, communication, innovation, and resilience. It increases engagement by making learning fun, meaningful, and connected to real-world challenges.

Q: What Does It Mean to Be a STEAM School?

A: A STEAM School integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics across the curriculum while maintaining strong foundational academics. At SF STEAM Academy, we combine innovation with research-based curriculum.

Q: Do You Use Established Curriculums at SF STEAM Academy? 

A: Yes, some of these are listed below:

• Mathematics: Bridges in Mathematics (The Math Learning Center)

• Language Arts & Social Studies: Arts & Letters

• Science: Mystery Science

• Social-Emotional Learning: Conscious Discipline and Wayfinder 



These programs provide academic rigor, while our STEAM framework brings learning to life through projects, inquiry, and design challenges, using a whole-child approach and universal design for learning.

Source: www.pexels.com

Q: Are There Any Frameworks That You Rely On? 

A: Guiding Principles & Frameworks:

• Project-Based Learning (PBL)

• Engineering Design Process

• Inquiry-Based Instruction

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• Whole-child development through Conscious Discipline

Q: What Do You Look for in a STEAM Teacher:

• A: Strong knowledge of child development and different learning styles,

• Ability to teach foundational academics using a project-based and transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning,

• Skill in facilitating inquiry and hands-on learning,

• Collaborative and reflective practice,

• Commitment to equity and inclusive classrooms,

• Alignment with positive classroom management practices.

Q: Is STEAM Used in All Subjects?

A: Yes. STEAM thinking strengthens our core curriculum. Students apply mathematical reasoning in real-world design challenges, integrate literacy with research and presentation, conduct scientific investigations, use the arts, and build collaboration and emotional regulation skills throughout the day.

Q: Do You Offer Dedicated STEAM Experiences?

A: Yes. In addition to integrated classroom instruction, students participate in STEAM lab experiences, engineering and robotics projects, maker challenges, and technology integration opportunities during the school day and through our after-school and camp programs. 

Q: Is STEAM Appropriate for Afterschool Programs?

A: Absolutely. STEAM enrichment in after-school settings—such as robotics, coding, LEGO engineering, and design labs, backyard sciences, gardening, and arts activities —provides extended time for exploration, creativity, and collaborative innovation. 

MORE ABOUT...

Dr. Rebecca Hawley is an accomplished leader in Education, Early Intervention, Special Education, and Family Support Services with 25 years of experience across the Bay Area, nationally, and internationally. Her career centers on advancing equitable, developmentally informed, and individualized access to education and related services for children and adolescents ages 2–21.

As an expert in child development, Dr. Hawley integrates research-based developmental frameworks with practical, school-based application, ensuring that instructional decisions, intervention plans, and service delivery models are grounded in evidence and tailored to the whole child. Her work spans early childhood programs, elementary and middle school settings, and specialized environments serving neurodiverse learners, multilingual students, and students facing mental health challenges.

Dr. Hawley provides direct support, strategic leadership, and programmatic oversight to non-profit organizations, state and federal agencies, and independent schools. She is highly regarded for her ability to build and strengthen multidisciplinary teams, coach and mentor teachers, and develop systems that support instructional excellence, inclusive learning environments, and culturally responsive practice. Her mentorship emphasizes reflective teaching, collaborative problem-solving, and data-informed decision-making to improve student outcomes and elevate teacher confidence.

San Francisco STEAM Academy is an innovative elementary school that nurtures children’s intrinsic motivation, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills.

Their research-backed, student-centered approach embraces hands-on, interdisciplinary learning: core academics enriched with arts, movement, and life skills such as cooking, gardening, and crafting. Authentic, real-world problem-solving fosters confidence and creativity. A connected, thriving learning community where children feel valued and inspired. Education should be transformative—a launchpad for every child’s future possibilities.

At SF S.T.E.A.M. Academy, learning is active, engaging, and meaningful, equipping students to think analytically, innovate boldly, and thrive in an ever-changing world. They nurture the next generation of problem-solvers, creative thinkers, and compassionate leaders. 

How Toys Can Help Break Stereotypes and Support STEAM Learning

Source: Amazon

By Guest Blogger, Amanda Sullivan, Senior Program Developer, National Girls Collaborative Project. This blog originally appeared on NGCP’s Blog and can be viewed here.

“Children learn best through play and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) is no exception. Playful STEAM learning is characterized by hands-on exploration, problem-solving, and meaningful interdisciplinary projects. In preparation for our upcoming webinar together, I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Anna Yudina, the Senior Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Toy Association. I chatted with Anna to get her perspective on how toys can help encourage playful STEAM learning. Read on to hear her ideas about how toys can help break stereotypes, support the sciences, and more! 

Q: Can you tell me about the Toy Association and the work you do? 

A: Spearheading the benefits of play is an important part of our mission at The Toy Association. We do that in many ways, including The Genius of Play initiative, which has reached millions since its launch in 2015. The Genius of Play started as a movement to educate parents and caregivers about the benefits of play. We have been collaborating with child development experts and sharing research and facts that support the need for playful learning and just play in general. 

Over the years, The Genius of Play has evolved into a leading resource of play ideas and activities for families. Our website www.thegeniusofplay.org houses hundreds of activities organized by a child’s age and developmental benefit. We also have a special section dedicated to educators where teachers, afterschool professionals and other adults who work with kids can discover play-based lesson plans focused on everything from math to literacy to science. 

Q: What is the role of toys in STEAM learning?  

A: Toys get kids involved and passionate about STEAM subjects and help relate complex and often abstract concepts to the world around them. Subjects like math and science become relevant to things they experience every day, such as cooking, shopping, or building.  

STEAM toys also encourage trial-and-error and through this type of play, kids learn how to fail and still have fun. These skills are fundamental to future success in STEAM subjects in school or careers where one needs to experiment all the time to discover solutions to problems. Toys teach kids to take healthy risks in a non-threatening, playful environment, then transfer that confidence and courage to their future endeavors. 

Finally, toys and play have the power to spark young imaginations and nurture innovative thinking. The Toy Association has created a handy infographic to illustrate the Top 10 Ways Toys Can Teach STEAM.  

Source: The Toy Association

Q: How does the work you do help support equity in STEAM education?  

A: Toys can help combat stereotypes and foster diversity of cultures and perspectives, and they can influence kids from a very young age. When I was a little girl, there were separate boy and girl aisles in toy stores, and there were strong perceptions around which toys were “appropriate” for each gender. I had a passion for biology from an early age, but it took years before I finally got a toy microscope while I always had an army of dolls and stuffed animals. 

It makes me very happy to see how things have been changing, with more and more toys now actively embracing and promoting diversity and inclusion. We know from research that having role models who look just like us matters so it is important for kids to know that people who work in STEAM fields come from all kinds of backgrounds, genders, and skin colors. Seeing their toys reflect this diversity can provide that little bit of extra confidence and motivation to help today’s kids imagine themselves as someday being scientists, engineers, technology experts or mathematicians.

Source: Amazon

Q: Are there any other resources or tips do you want to share?

A: Kids are naturally curious and want to explore the world around them, so tapping into that curiosity and encouraging discovery and experimentation through age-appropriate, play-based activities is really the best way. Simple experiments like Fireworks in a Jar are appropriate for kids as young as three.  

If you are looking for more ideas like this, thegeniusofplay.org is a great resource. For example, Playing with STEM at Home for Young Learners shares fun activities and experiments such as Cabbage Colors, 3D Shapes, A Boat That Floats, and more. We are also working on a brand-new “STEAM Playbook” in collaboration with NGCP, which will feature a curated collection of play activities for every letter in S-T-E-A-M. It will be available on our website.”

MORE ABOUT...

Amanda Sullivan is a Senior Program Developer at National Girls Collaborative Project where she manages the NGCP’s National Webinar Series. She is passionate about breaking gender stereotypes and providing all children with equal access and opportunities to succeed within (and beyond) STEM from an early age. 

Anna Yudina is now the Chief Marketing Officer of The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Yudina previously served as Senior Director of Marketing Initiatives for The Toy Association, where she led brand strategy, content, digital marketing, and communications for The Genius of Play™, an online platform for parents and educators. She also established partnerships with online influencers, key websites in the parenting space, and leading educational organizations, and launched STEAM Accreditation Program for toy companies, which generated a brand-new source of revenue, including partnering with Amazon to create a dedicated storefront for STEAM accredited toys.

The Toy Association is committed to empowering and serving the toy, play and youth entertainment community by providing advocacy, programs, events, services, and tools that help them deliver safe, fun and developmentally beneficial products to children and families around the world. Their work continually evolves and adapts to drive greater positive impact. In addition, The Association educates families and consumers worldwide on the cognitive, social, emotional, and creative benefits of play.

To learn more about supporting girls' needs, including promoting STEM and STEAM among girls, check out our briefing paper. To view and download, click here.