Looking ahead at the new year, we’re excited to be launching new cybersecurity lessons, professional development cycles on climate change and new, free resources for families. To give you a preview, we spoke to one of our expert curriculum developers at EiE^®, Derek Butterton, who shared insights with us into the things educators have been asking for and the resources we are creating in response to those needs.

“The training experience was exceptional, and the best STEM training I have ever attended. As someone who did not previously consider themselves confident in teaching STEM, it has been exciting to bring this knowledge back into the classroom and share it with my colleagues.” Mackenzie Allpress, 3rd Grade: Cottonwood Elementary School, WA.

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.”