Teens Selected for National STEM Ambassador Program

Two teens from Arizona have been selected for the 2025 Flight Crew, a national youth STEM ambassador program of STEM Next Opportunity Fund. They are among 77 students nationwide using their voices to spotlight the power of afterschool STEM.

As Flight Crew members, they’ll share their stories throughout the year on state, local and national stages—and inspire peers across Arizona and beyond to explore what’s possible in STEM. Throughout the program, they receive training in leadership development, public speaking, social media, resume-building, and interview preparation.

Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence is proud of our state ambassadors and congratulates Iraj and Shireen!

Afterschool educators: have you heard? The ACRES Project has made all STEM coaching materials available for FREE—giving afterschool leaders, site directors, and professional development specialists the tools to enhance STEM learning at their programs.

Sign up for an info session to explore the free resources: https://bit.ly/3QpRdXY

For questions, reach out to acres@mmsa.org 

Design the Mission Patch for NASA’s Next HERA Campaign

Submission Deadline: Oct. 15

Contact: dina.f.maron@nasa.gov

Did you know NASA simulates crewed space missions with the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)? HERA is a two-and-a-half story, 650-square-foot habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. In 2026, four missions will take place inside HERA with crews of four volunteers who will live isolated and confined during 45-day simulated trips to the Moon.

K-12 students at private and public schools in the U.S. are invited to design the patches for these upcoming missions. Winners will work with a Human Research Program graphic designer to turn their concept into a reality.

Click here for challenge details. 

ACTIVITY

Exploring Enzymes

Have you ever wondered how all the food that you eat gets digested? It is not only the acid in your stomach that breaks down your food—many little molecules in your body, called enzymes, help with that too. Enzymes are special types of proteins that speed up chemical reactions, such as the digestion of food in your stomach. In fact, there are thousands of different enzymes in your body that work around-the-clock to keep you healthy and active. In this science activity you will investigate… Read more

Afterschool educators: spark curiosity and critical thinking with Genomics Learning Journeys by STEM Next!

These grade-flexible activity bundles designed for afterschool and summer programs bring DNA science to life and show young learners how innovation, health, and careers in genomics are all connected.

Each journey includes interactive activities, career-connection videos, and facilitator guides—all created with out-of-school-time educators in mind.

These free resources are powered by Illumina and STEM Next to help youth see that innovation is truly in their DNA.

🧬 Explore the Learning Journeys now: https://bit.ly/43XlSUn