There are some great STEM events and programs to check out this fall! I hope you find something that’s a good fit for your kids.
National Programs and Events
National Cyber Cup Challenge
The National Cyber Cup sponsored by Cyber.org is back on September 23-24 ! It’s a free, Jeopardy-style CTF event with a focus on cybersecurity themes and challenges. 9th-12th grade students who are citizens of the United States or territories can participate as teams under an adult coach/team sponsor. There are plenty of challenges on the practice site now, giving you the perfect opportunity to test your skills and get event-ready. Mark your calendars for two days of intense challenges, teamwork, and cybersecurity problem-solving. Register now.
American Rocketry Challenge
The American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition, engages students in grades 6-12 in rocketry. The challenge provides a yearlong opportunity to gain hands-on engineering experience by designing, building, testing, and launching model rockets to meet rigorous requirements. Students gain hands-on STEM experience while competing for awards, national recognition, and the opportunity to represent the United States on the international stage. Registration closes December 6.
Day of AI Literacy Curriculum
Day of AI recently launched a PreK–12 AI literacy curriculum, providing a grade-by-grade pathway to ensure every student understands how artificial intelligence works and impacts their world before they graduate. The new curriculum ensures that young people have the knowledge to understand, question, and participate in decisions about the technology shaping their future, drawing on Day of AI’s work with major school systems, including New York City Public Schools and Boston Public Schools. The complete curriculum is available free to educators, schools, and districts. Register to gain access to the materials.
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
The NASA TechRise Student Challenge is open to 6th-12th-grade teams and accepts entries until November 2. This year’s challenge invites student teams to submit science and technology experiment ideas to fly on an Aerostar high-altitude balloon. No experience is necessary to participate! Sixty winning teams will receive $1500 to build their experiment, a spot to test it on a NASA-sponsored flight, and technical support from TechRise advisors. Visit the challenge webpage to learn more about how to get involved as an educator, student, or judge. Students and Educators! On September 22, join the interactive NASA TechRise Virtual Field Trip to hear from special guest speaker Dr. Kevin Crosby, a visiting research scientist at the NASA Johnson Space Center, participate in live Q&A, and get inspired about submitting an experiment idea to the NASA TechRise Student Challenge. Register today.
Science & Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Applications are open for the 2027 Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), which places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories for eight weeks each summer to participate in real Naval research. SEAP is open to academically talented sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in STEM, offering the chance to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring from top scientists and engineers. It’s a competitive program, with around 300 placements available across more than 38 laboratories nationwide, and many participants go on to careers within the DoN. The application deadline is November 30.
Splash Programs For Teens This Fall
Registration will open soon for fall Splash programs held by colleges in the Northeast and other parts of the country. Splash offers a terrific learning experience for curious middle and high school students, providing classes on diverse and fun topics, including STEM, taught by college students on weekends. See if there is a program in your area.
NASA Space Apps Challenge November 14-15
The NASA Space Apps Challenge offers opportunities for anyone with an interest in space and science to address real-world challenges through our annual hackathon and global community. All ages, skill levels, and professional backgrounds are welcome. The annual NASA Space Apps Challenge provides the opportunity to engage directly with NASA’s data, along with Space Agency Partner data. During the two-day hackathon, teams use this data to address challenges written by NASA Subject Matter Experts, featuring topics including storytelling, software development, astrophysics, space exploration, agriculture, and more. Learn more and register today.
Space Center Houston’s Conrad Challenge
The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven STEM innovation competition for teens ages 13-18. From August through April, teams of 2-5 students will journey through the entrepreneurial process and design an innovation that solves an important problem. This year’s categories include: The Water Challenge, Health and Nutrition, Energy and Environment, Cyber Technology and Security, and Aerospace and Aviation. Learn more and register now.
Featured Programs in Massachusetts
MIT Future Fest
The MIT Museum is launching the MIT Future Fest, an ambitious new festival celebrating tomorrow’s possibilities at the intersections of art, design, science, and technology. Taking over the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts from September 30–October 4, the inaugural five-day festival will open the doors of MIT’s labs, workshops, and theaters for in-person conversations, experiences, exhibitions, and tours, inviting world-renowned experts and curious minds to join together in the shared thrill of discovery in action. Learn more and buy tickets.
New Exhibit at the Boston Children’s Museum
Dream it! Build it! is a new permanent hands-on, mind-on experience that encourages families to explore construction, architecture, and engineering through creative problem-solving and play. Museum visitors can imagine bold possibilities for cities and communities, solve urban planning and engineering problems, and build projects using real tools and teamwork. Dream it! Build it! nurtures creativity, resilience, and collaboration—future-ready skills that support children in STEAM and beyond.
Mass STEM Week
Massachusetts STEM Week 2025 will take place from October 19–23 and is a statewide collaborative effort featuring planned events, activities, and design challenges that engage local school communities, community leaders, and business partners. Visit the STEM Week website to find activities near you. The MetroWest STEM Education Network also has design challenges, events, and activities on their site.
Health Professions Recruitment & Exposure Program (HPREP) at Harvard Medical School
The Health Professions Recruitment & Exposure Program (HPREP) at Harvard Medical School is a high school science enrichment program aimed at recruiting high school students only, from the Boston area, into science and medicine. The program includes labs, presentations, and workshops led by faculty and students to provide information about scientific and medical careers. HPREP participants are introduced to various topics in medicine, science, and public health under the mentorship of medical school faculty and students. Saturday sessions take place at the Harvard Medical School campus in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston over a 10-week period. This is a free program. The application deadline is October 7. A virtual student info session will take place on September 24 at 7pm.
Girlstart’s Girls in STEM Conference
Registration is open for Girlstart’s annual Boston Girls in STEM Conference on November 7 from 10 am to 3:30 pm at the Kennedy Middle School in Waltham. Girls in 4th-8th grades will enjoy hands-on workshops led by inspiring women in STEM and learn about rewarding and meaningful STEM careers. Whether your child is already excited about STEM or eager to learn something new, this opportunity is for them! Learn more and register. Cost: $50. Registration now.
National Chemistry Week
The Northeastern section of the American Chemical Society is partnering with the Museum of Science, Boston Children’s Museum, and Discovery Museum for National Chemistry Week in October. Visit the events page to get information on programs that feature hands-on activities.
Calendar of Massachusetts Events
September 26: MassRobotics hosts RoboBoston: Annual Robot Block Party from 10:45am-4pm in Boston’s Seaport Innovation District. RoboBoston is the largest celebration of robotics, showcasing cutting-edge robotics technology from more than 50 companies, universities, and student teams, all united in Boston’s vibrant innovation hub. See the latest in robotics, including robot demonstrations, hands-on robot interactions, and games. Free and open to the public.
September 27: ¡Celebremos Puerto Rico! is a free afternoon of music and fun activities at Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
October 3: The Harvard Museum of Natural History is hosting Raising Bilingual Children: A practical, research-backed workshop for parents and caregivers. Experts in language development, bilingualism, and child development will lead talks and discussions. The workshop offers practical strategies for supporting children’s language growth at home. $35/person (price includes museum admission). Childcare for ages 3-12 is available for a fee.
October 4: A family-friendly science extravaganza, the Cambridge Science Carnival is a beloved yearly highlight of the Cambridge STEAM calendar and features over 100 activity booths and demonstrations, with live music and installations, including the ever-popular Robot Petting Zoo! Attend from 12-4pm in the Kendall/MIT Open Space for another fabulous afternoon of education and entertainment. Free event!
October 10: The Girl Scouts of Central and Western MA is hosting the Geek is Glam STEM Expo at WPI, an annual day-long interactive STEM conference for middle school girls in grades 4-8. The cost is $65/ticket. Register by September 24.
October 23: Celebrate the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope with a special community event featuring fulldome film ‘Phantom of the Universe’ in the FSU Planetarium in Framingham. Purchase tickets.
October 24: WTS-Boston is partnering with the Quincy Public Schools to host the 2026 Transportation YOU STEM Summit. The summit introduces students ages 8-18 who identify as female, non-binary, or other gender identity or expression to transportation planning and engineering. The summit is free but registration is required.
October 30: The Christa McAuliffe Center in Framingham presents a live planetarium show: Spooky Skies. Join for a live tour of the chilling and eerie objects in our night sky and beyond. Come in costume! Buy tickets.
Splash Programs in November!
- Northeastern University will hold Splash for grades 8-12 on November 14. It is a free event.
- Clark University will hold Splash on November 15 for grades 5-12. Registration will be open from October 19 to November 13. Free event.
- MIT will hold Splash for grades 9-12 on November 21 and 22. Create an ESP account to receive email updates when registration opens in mid to late October. Cost: $70.
Image Credit: Cambridge Science Carnival by BostonTechMom
