It’s with a sense of excitement and urgency that we introduce STEM Ready America, a new collection of scholarly yet practical articles that illustrate the power of afterschool and summer learning programs to engage more K-12 students in the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In this publication, more than 40 authors—including educators, business leaders, scientists, and policymakers—offer compelling evidence and practical advice as to why and how afterschool programs must be part of the STEM education solution.

We know the skills and knowledge learned through STEM are critical to the success of young people today. Through new evaluations, we’re learning that afterschool programs help young people develop confidence in and commitment to STEM subjects. A growing body of evidence also confirms that, when we invest in quality programs, students thrive. Yet, because too many of our children and young people lack exposure to these critical subjects, they are losing interest in STEM fields by middle school or earlier.

Programs that connect with and support in-school learning not only provide the time for hands-on opportunities to explore ideas, but also enhance a student’s natural curiosity and encourage creativity. When a young person develops the confidence to feel that she is good at science and can imagine becoming a scientist, we see future cures for diseases emerging. When a young person solves a difficult problem and declares he wants to be a computer coder, we see future technologies invented. When boys and girls learn how to persist through failed experiments, they learn the perseverance that is essential to their success in any career they may pursue.

Additionally, through mentoring and coaching, afterschool and summer learning programs teach students about future STEM jobs, and prepare them for the challenging coursework that qualifies them for college. In short, we believe such programs have the power to unlock STEM potential in all young people.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and STEM Next (previously the Noyce Foundation) share the goal of ensuring that every child has an opportunity to pursue STEM learning, regardless of his or her background, gender or socio-economic status. We are pleased to be able to combine our respective areas of focus—afterschool programs and science learning—in an effort to scale up STEM afterschool programs across the nation.

This compendium of articles illustrates how people from different sectors are coming together to help make STEM programming available for more and more young people. It highlights communities crafting solutions that work and offering pathways for others to pursue.

As you will see in STEM Ready America, efforts to innovate practice, increase access, and improve and evaluate the quality of STEM programming are gaining strength across the country. We hope the content in this compendium will be helpful to educators, school districts, and policymakers who believe a solid STEM education will help students and communities flourish in the future.

Pendred Noyce, M.D., Co-founding Trustee, Noyce Foundation and Educator and Writer, Tumblehome Learning

Ridgway H. White, President, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation