The Afterschool STEM Hub, led by the Afterschool Alliance, is a collaboration of national afterschool and summer program leaders and stakeholders who seek to ensure these programs are considered a key component in the STEM education and learning landscape.
We work at the intersection of policy, research, and practice to support high-quality afterschool, summer, and other out-of-school-time STEM learning and engagement. We both define new policy agendas to meet the needs of afterschool STEM programs and advocate to maintain and grow current public investments. We collect, collate, and leverage research and evidence to advocate for well-resourced and respected afterschool STEM learning ecosystems for all youth. Finally, we produce coordinated messaging and advocacy tools built on rigorous communications research from the FrameWorks Institute.
Our Vision
The Afterschool STEM Hub envisions a STEM learning community where afterschool programs are respected and well-resourced partners in creating joyful STEM experiences that are available and accessible for all youth, cultivate a sense of belonging in STEM, and center youth-driven engagement and learning.
Our Mission
The Afterschool STEM Hub mission is to advocate for policies that are informed by practice and research to advance investment in accessible, high-quality afterschool STEM learning for every young person. We achieve this by leveraging collaborative partnerships, empowering advocates, and providing evidence-based policy recommendations to create sustainable support for afterschool STEM programs.
Our Values
The Afterschool STEM Hub is committed to ensuring that afterschool and other out-of-school-time STEM engagement is accessible to all youth and provides high-quality learning environments. Advocating for policies informed by practice and research, we are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse group of members and engage in partnerships that include a variety of voices to inform our priorities in enhancing and sustainably supporting the afterschool and larger out-of-school-time STEM ecosystem.
We strive to ensure our community of practice enables an environment that is welcoming to all. Diverse perspectives enrich our work by exposing us to a spectrum of understanding that helps us better identify challenges and more inclusively discover, design, and advocate for evidence-based policy solutions.
Afterschool STEM Hub members commit to demonstrating these values are reflected in our work to advance STEM engagement and learning opportunities for all young people.
Why Organizations Join the Hub
- To convene, collaborate with, and learn from others working in the afterschool STEM Community
- To stay informed of relevant federal policy impacting their work
- To be empowered and have access to advocacy tools and communication messages to make the case for high-quality afterschool STEM
- To be part of a Community of Practice for increasing access to high-quality afterschool STEM programming
- To share research and best practices in service of advocacy goals to enhance the field and their own work
What Members Say
"The Afterschool STEM Hub is the policy collaborative for the informal and Out-of-School-Time STEM field. The Hub curates and disseminates research and evidence, informs timely policy issues, offers key policy messages, and coalesces collective action. The Afterschool Alliance's seasoned staff and the STEM Education Coalition's leadership expertly shepherds the Hub's policy agenda." Ron Ottinger, Executive Director, STEM Next Opportunity Fund
"The Afterschool STEM Hub facilitates important policy discussions, focusing on the intersection of education, community, and legislative action. By promoting strategic engagement with policymakers and stakeholders, it is shaping policies that strengthen the STEM ecosystem and improve access to quality afterschool STEM learning programs.” Mariana Acuña Delgado, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
"The Afterschool STEM Hub equips organizations like ours with the tools and messaging we need to advocate effectively for high-quality STEM learning opportunities beyond the classroom." Jenny Frank, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM
"Participating in the STEM hub makes it possible to get outside of the bubble of my field of work. Members of the Hub come from different sectors, different regions of the country, and different roles. Interacting with them helps me realize how to make my work matter more for more people." Heidi Cian, Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance
Current List of Members
- ACT Now Illinois
- Afterschool Alliance
- AISES
- Association of Children's Museums
- Association of Science & Technology Centers
- BOSE Public Affairs Group
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- California Academy of Sciences
- ExpandED Schools
- Girls, Inc.
- Institute for Learning Innovation
- Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth (ISRY)
- Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance
- National 4-H Council
- National Girls Collaborative Project
- National Science Teaching Association
- New America
- Oregon ASK
- Overdeck Family Foundation
- Partnerships in Education & Resilience (PEAR)
- Project Scientist
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
- STEM Ecosystems
- STEM Education Coalition
- STEM Next Opportunity Fund
- Student Association for STEM Advocacy
- Techbridge Girls
- The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- UnidosUS
- University of Washington
Practitioners Advisory Group
In alignment with our mission and values, which state that the Hub advocates for policies informed by practice and is committed to engagement in partnerships that include a variety of voices to inform, enhance, and sustainably support the afterschool STEM ecosystem, we established a Practitioners Advisory Group composed of informal STEM program practitioners who are involved directly in the day-to-day operations, working with youth. We are delighted that the following organizations are a part of this inaugural Advisory Group:
- Benson Primary School
- Together Friends Organization
- STEM Connection
- Utah State University's Chaos Learning Lab
- Auburn University's K-12 Research & Outreach Program
- STEM from Dance
- STEMarts
- University City Science Center's FIRST HAND Program
- Texas Tech University's
- Boys and Girls Clubs of the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County
- Community Services Foundation Arlie Petters STEAM Out-of-School Time Program
Want More Information?
Email us at stemhub@afterschoolalliance.org. Read our one-pager and share it with others who might be interested in our work!