NC CAP's Youth STEM Summit

NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) is partnering with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to host a statewide Youth STEM Summit to empower and inspire youth from across the state to return to their communities and develop STEM projects that involve strong museum, school, and community partnerships. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with college-aged community mentors and apprenticeship opportunities, and will gain resources for forging more of these connections in the future. Joan Higginbotham, former NASA astronaut, will give the keynote address and will share her inspiring story as one of the first African-American astronauts in space. This event will be part of the Grand Opening of the Museum’s Nature Research Center as well as part of the NC Science Festival.

The Youth STEM Summit will kick off NC CAP’s partnership with the state’s key leaders in STEM to advance opportunities for STEM education in afterschool programs and other out-of-school time settings. During the pilot phase of this multi-year initiative, NC CAP will build innovative regional Afterschool STEM hubs in the Charlotte, Triad, and Triangle to bring together a diverse group of state and local community STEM partners to infuse STEM programming, professional development, and mentorships into afterschool programs in these regions.

Participating programs must apply to be part of this pilot initiative, and applications are available on NC CAP’s website. NC CAP and its partners will provide programs accepted into this initiative with extensive training and professional development on how to implement STEM projects, as well as stipends for equipment, field trips, and other expenses. Afterschool students and their families will learn more about STEM opportunities within their own communities and how to turn STEM into a college major and/or career. Resources and support will be provided through partnerships with state and local museums and STEM stakeholders. Once projects are completed, students will present their work and compete for college scholarships and other awards. Upon completion of the pilot phase, NC CAP will continue to expand the regional afterschool STEM hubs across the state.