Starting STEM Early: Ready, Set, STEM! in Summer 2025
This summer, almost 50 preschool and rising kindergarten students cared for ant farms, planted bulbs, explored light and shadow, studied neighborhood birds, and documented their scientific observations in summer STEM journals. They also engaged in a wide range of hands-on math activities to bolster their skills and understanding related to number, operations, and shapes. These young scientists and mathematicians were participating in the sixth summer of our Ready, Set, STEM! program, which the early childhood team at UChicago STEM Education was excited to offer at Wells Preparatory Elementary School and the University of Chicago Charter Schools (UCCS) this year with generous funding from the CME Group Foundation and the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Innovation in the Sciences Program. (Grant funding allows us to offer the program at no cost to families.) At Wells, we offered the program to students participating in their Preview to PreK and Kickoff to Kindergarten programs. At UCCS, we partnered with Horizon International Chicago to incorporate Ready, Set, STEM! activities into their existing summer program for rising Kindergarten students. At each site, the summer program concluded with a Family STEM Event featuring fun, interactive STEM activities for students to do with their families.
In addition to having a great time immersing themselves in math and science activities, the summer Ready, Set, STEM! students learned a lot! We administered a one-on-one math assessment at the beginning and end of the 5-week program, and 97.6% of the students who were pre- and post-tested (42 of 43 students) made gains in at least one assessed skill area (number, counting, operations, and/or shapes). Most (86%) of these children made gains in more than one area.
Their summer teachers -- all early childhood teachers from the school sites -- also reported lots of learning and enthusiasm from using the Ready, Set, STEM! summer curriculum! On a post-program survey, 100% of the respondents (N=5) agreed or strongly agreed with each of the following statements:
- “I have more ideas about appropriate and engaging STEM activities for young children as a result of using the Ready, Set, STEM! materials.”
- “I enjoy teaching STEM more as a result of using the Ready, Set, STEM! materials.”
Similarly, 100% of the family members who completed a survey at the end of the program (N=31) agreed or strongly agreed that, based on the culminating Family STEM event and the home activities they received throughout the summer, they “feel more positive about my child's STEM learning than I did before the summer program.” 87% agreed or strongly agreed that they “do more STEM activities with my child than I did before the summer program.”
We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to share our love of early STEM with these young learners, their teachers, and their families, and we are excited for them to continue to build on these foundational experiences and spread this knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Check out our Ready, Set, STEM website and feel free to reach out to Debbie Leslie (daleslie@uchicago.edu) if you’d like to learn more about the program, which has both school-year and summer components.
STEAM DREAM SUMMER ROBOTICS!
UChicago STEM Education is thrilled to partner with Bright Star Community Outreach (BSCO), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-based organization that is deeply rooted in the greater Bronzeville community in Chicago, on our Bright Star STEAM DREAM Initiative (BSSDI). With generous funding from the Hymen Milgrom Supporting Organization, the BSSDI has been providing high-quality teacher professional development, as well as no-cost school-day, after-school, and summer STEAM programming for teachers and students in the BSCO service area since 2023.
This summer, ninety students across grades K-8 participated in our second summer of STEAM DREAM programming, which was focused on robotics. All of our summer students used Vex robotics materials, with the youngest students using Vex 1, 2, 3 materials, and the older ones using Vex Go or Vex IQ kits, depending on their level of experience with robotics. Many students progressed from one level to another over the course of the summer!
Over the course of three 2-week sessions, the STEAM DREAM summer students were taught by 11 Chicago Public Schools elementary- and middle-grade teachers. They were supported by 10 area college students or recent college graduates, all of whom participated in training related to the robotics programs. Looking ahead, we hope to start a STEAM DREAM competitive robotics team, building on the new skills and excitement of both the students and the teachers who participated this summer! Stay tuned for more information about that!
Southside STEM Camp Blazes New Trails at Southside STEM Station
This summer, 25 adventurous 5th and 6th grade girls set up camp at the new Southside STEM Station in Hyde Park! For two weeks, the campers dove headfirst into a full-day STEM expedition led by the enthusiastic UChicago STEM coaches. Campers became true STEM explorers, journeying through hands-on experiments and trailblazing new skills in science, engineering, and math. Campers also learned about female mathematicians and scientists and people of color in the STEM field.
Each day brought new adventures at camp, including:
- Cryptography: Decoding and encoding messages and solving puzzles
- STEM Challenges: Tackling real word problems with teamwork and creativity
- Engineering Expeditions: Building and testing unique creations
- Data Science Explorations: Collecting, analyzing, and representing data about waste and recycling
- Math Mountain Treks: Scaling new heights by tackling real-world problems, mastering number patterns, and mapping out mathematical strategies
As part of the journey, campers laced up their (imaginary) hiking boots and hiked to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, where they explored hands-on exhibits and scientific wonders, including The Blue Paradox, This powerful, immersive experience which took the campers below the ocean’s surface to explore the impact plastic pollution has had on our planet’s largest ecosystem.
On the final day of camp, the girls showed off their creations, discoveries, and learnings from the two weeks in a Family Showcase! Families were excited to see their campers' passion and excitement as they shared their learning. One camper shared, ”I have already been interested in STEM subjects so much that I love to learn and STEM Camp helped me to learn even more!” From the very first day to this grand finale, our campers built lasting friendships, curiosity, and confidence, all while uncovering the wonders and innovations of STEM.
