Happy holidays from EiE! We are so proud to have had the honor of creating resources for your homes, classrooms and clubs this year. In celebration of all things STEM we learned this year, please enjoy these 12 days of STEM-themed holiday activities, including games, videos, and more for the whole family to enjoy. Plus, as a special bonus, check out all the holiday-themed STEM activities at the end to keep your students engaged in learning as the holidays approach.

We know elementary school is a critical time for students’ career interests. By the end of fifth grade, some students have already decided to pursue a career in STEM, while others have concluded such a career is “unthinkable” (DeWitt, 2011). The good news is that teaching about professions at the elementary level can affect this trajectory: students with greater knowledge of STEM careers are more likely to aspire to careers in those fields. (Blotnicky, 2018).

World Computer Literacy Day is December 2nd! This celebration of computers began in 2001, founded by the National Institute of Information Technology, an Indian computer company, after research suggested that the majority of computer users around the world were men. What started as an initiative intended to encourage the development of technological skills, particularly among children and women in India, has since expanded with aims to "create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide.”

Happy Thanksgiving from the EiE Team! This holiday, give your students and their families the gift of hands-on, at-home STEM activities that are sure to bring them together in learning and excite participants of all ages. With EiE’s all new EiE Families Activities, send your learners home with free activities like ‘Bye Bye Bug’ and ‘Sounds of Celebration’ and keep the learning going out of school.

In the 21st century, computer science has become an integral part of our lives and the lives of our youngest learners. Teaching essential computer science skills as early as kindergarten can prepare young learners for an increasingly technology-dependent future, including careers that haven’t been invented yet.