The Kids Ahead website was launched in the Fall of 2010. Initially, kids, teachers, parents, mentors and club leaders will find projects and activities related to three topics: Robotics, Forensics and Wind Energy with location-specific content for the Washington, DC Dallas/Fort Worth, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Seattle, Washington areas. Eventually, we plan to have events identified throughout the entire country and across many more subjects. Kids Ahead is also working in support of organizations like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H Club and the Boys and Girls Clubs by providing resources they can incorporate into their activities.
Kids Ahead Mission
The Kids Ahead program is an initiative to increase the number of kids with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competencies and interests. Our program is designed to inspire young people to learn about STEM through innovative interactions in the physical and virtual worlds.
The Kids Ahead program is part of a larger national initiative being led by Southern Methodist University aiming to improve STEM skills in young people. By providing middle school children access to quality content, activities, projects, events and information, Kids Ahead will spark their interest and passion. Kids Ahead also seeks to provide parents, teachers, club leaders and STEM volunteers the resources they need to keep STEM activities a central part of young people’s lives.
Kids Ahead Goals
Develop a virtual community in support of our mission. That community consists of people like you. We hope that you will join our community, tell others about us and contribute what you know to this effort.
Create a virtual environment where kids will be inspired, learn and have fun. Kids Ahead provides high quality projects, activities and events for middle school children.
Support parents, teachers, club leaders and other adults all across America that are able to help inspire kids through STEM activities. By providing exciting, fun, challenging quality resources that adults can use as they engage with kids, we believe that STEM-related activities will increase.
Kids Ahead Impact
By creating a unique virtual environment and a supporting community that is focused on giving kids the experiences they need to see themselves as future scientists or engineers we will ensure our nation has the necessary technical knowledge to maintain our status as a world leader. The Kids Ahead site is an exciting environment built to provide kids access to these fun, exciting and challenging opportunities and activities.
The Kids Ahead project hopes to reach middle school children across the U.S. We believe that it is possible to provide interesting content, fun and creative activities, and access to events and projects in their local areas that will motivate kids to learn STEM skills. The Kids Ahead program will provide parents, teachers, club leaders and other adults the resources they need to be positively impact young people through parenting, teaching, mentoring and club activities associated with STEM subjects.
The STEM-Works team developed a website that supports volunteers that are working in their local communities to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in our nation's youth. We are also bringing those people together as a virtual community that we will ultimately serve. If you would like to help us build STEM-Works through donations, partnerships, quality content or just have an idea you would like to share, please contact us.
STEM-Works Mission
The STEM-Works program supports volunteers that are working in their local communities to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in our nation.
We believe that there are many grass-roots efforts by individuals and small groups across the nation to help kids gain confidence in their STEM skills by providing them with inspiring experiences. Giving those volunteers the tools that they need to be successful is the primary focus of the STEM-Works program. STEM-Works is a sister program to Kids Ahead, which is designed for middle school children.
The STEM-Works program is sponsored by the Department of Defense and Southern Methodist University. Our program is designed to help STEM professionals, club leaders and teachers find activities, projects and events that allow them to teach STEM skills to young people. By providing those volunteers access to quality material on exciting subjects like Robotics, Wind Energy and Forensics, we hope they will help young people gain confidence and interests in STEM fields. The same material is available for parents and teachers and will include group activities as well as individual projects.
STEM-Works Goals
Develop a virtual community in support of our mission. That community consists of people like you. We hope that you will join our community, tell others about us, and contribute what you know to this effort.
Create a virtual environment where volunteers will find the tools they need to inspire, teach and have fun with young people. By aggregating information that is currently found in many places, in addition to providing new content, we believe we can provide high quality projects, activities and events for volunteers working with middle school children.
Support STEM professionals working in the Department of Defense by focusing on their geographic regions like Washington, DC area, Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Seattle, Washington area, and Albuquerque, New Mexico area.
STEM-Works Impact
By creating a unique virtual environment and supporting community that is focused on giving adults the tools they need to inspire kids; we will ensure our nation has the necessary technical knowledge to maintain our status as a world leader.
We want every child regardless of where they live to be able to have quality experiences that build their interest and competencies in STEM. Giving volunteers access to these materials and activities that are fun, exciting, and challenging they will be the foundation of a national effort for increasing STEM skills in our youth.
We know that parents, teachers, club leaders and other adults are working toward the same goal, but often lack the resources they need to be successful. STEM-Works will give those people projects they can do with a young protégé, activities they can do with a group of young people, and places and events they can attend that offer quality STEM related learning experiences. We hope that these efforts will allow volunteers to meet their own goals and be as impactful as they desire.