Family watching the solar eclipse safely

Big STEM Celebrations

STEM celebrations bring us together for important themes, special events, and historical anniversaries.
See the Calendar of STEM Events Throughout the Year
Calendar stock image

Calendar of STEM Events

Ideas for incorporating STEM content into holidays, seasons, annual events, and special events throughout the year.
Citizen scientist taking a precipitation measurement on a CoCoRaHS rain gauge

Outside Activities

Outside activities - all year round.
Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

Summer Camps

Activities for incorporation into camps

Annual STEM Events

stylized brain and network graphic

Brain Awareness Week (March)

Neuroscience resources
Half of the blue marble for Earth Day hero

Earth Day (April)

Earth Day resources
Two children extracting visible DNA from wheat germ in Building with Biology kit

DNA Day (April 25)

Genetics resources
Frankenstein monster automata

Halloween (October)

Spooky Science!
Children and and facilitator examining color changes on a piece of paper

National Chemistry Week (October)

Every October!
NanoDays logo square

NanoDays (March-April) & National Nanotechnology Day (October)

Big events for the smallest science!

Year-long Events

International Year of Quantum Science and Technology logo

Quantum

International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) (2025)
Statue of Liberty Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash.

America 250

Celebrating America 250 - Semiquincentennial (2026)
The near side of the Moon, as seen by the cameras aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, 2017)

International Lunar Year

Celebrate the International Lunar Year (2028)

Calendar of STEM Events Throughout the Year

Calendar stock image

Calendar of STEM-related seasonal events and holidays

Ideas for incorporating STEM content into holidays, seasons, annual events, and special programming throughout the year.
Let's Do Chemistry safety guide cover showing children using liquid droppers

Resources for Planning Events

More Resources

More Special Events and Themes

Roman Telelescope NASA illustration

Roman Space Telescope

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and astrophysics. The telescope may launch as early as Fall 2026.
American Statue of Liberty

America at 250

As the United States commemorates its 250th (Semiquincentennial) anniversary, this compilation of resources can help reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond. 
Participants interact with cutouts that have information on them

Food Activities

Food is a great way to connect relevance of STEM content to our lives. Activities explore the science of cooking and preparing food, some of the societal choices about how we grow and process food. Activities can be incorporated into events that involve cooking an eating, food festivals, and annual celebrations like Halloween and Valentine's Day.
Science fiction art featuring archer figure on a rock shooting an arrow into space

Science Fiction, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Superheroes

There are many ways to incorporate authentic hands-on STEM in science fiction, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Superhero events! A compilation of ways to connect STEM activities to the imaginative and creative world of sci-fi!
Frankenstein200 activity training videos screenshot with presenter dressed as mad scientist

Halloween

A collection of hands-on STEM activities for creating Halloween spooky science events.
Cumulonimbus cloud over Africa

Climate & Weather

A compilation of climate and weather public engagement and professional learning resources for informal science educators.
Half of the blue marble for Earth Day hero

Earth Day

A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Earth, Earth Day, and Earth science. Resources can be used for celebrating Earth Day April 22, Earth Week, and Earth Month.
An illustration of water on a hydrophobic surface. The water forms perfect spheres.

Water

A compilation of water public engagement resources and activities; topics include water quality, pollution, supply, hydrological cycle, oceans, properties at the small scale including hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, bubbles, ice, and clouds. Also included are resources for annual events including Groundwater Awareness Week, World Water Day, Earth Day, World Oceans Day, National Pollution Prevention Week, Coastal Cleanup Day, Earth Science Week, and Imagine a Day Without Water.
NASA Satellite photo of the Korean peninsula

Air Quality

A compilation of educational resources and activities about air, air quality, and pollution.
Polarized Light activity with hands holding paper and polarizing tape materials up to the window

Light Activities

A compilation of public engagement activities that explore light visible to our eyes and other wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Vials showing nanoscale gold particles that appears red.

Glass Activities

A compilation of activities about glass including glass lenses in microscopes and telescopes and scientific images of glass.
National chemistry week logo

National Chemistry Week

National Chemistry Week is a community based program of the American Chemical Society (ACS). NISE Network has compiled a set of resources and activities suitable for National Chemistry Week, Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, and chemistry events.
Two facilitators and two learners wearing goggles use colorful felt strips to layer bubbles upon each other

Chemistry

Chemistry hands-on activities and professional learning resources for informal science educators.
Apollo 11 lander

Moon

A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Moon, the Moon Landing 50th Anniversary, the Apollo missions, and the Artemis missions.
Mars planet About 1000 Viking Orbiter red- and violet-filter images have been processed to provide global color coverage of Mars at a scale of 1 km per pixel - credited to NASA JPL-Caltech USGS

Mars

A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Mars and Mars rovers.
2017 solar eclipse square format

Solar Eclipses

A compilation of solar eclipse resources. During a solar eclipse the the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the Sun. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon lines up perfectly to fully block the Sun; in a partial solar eclipse, the Moon only blocks part of the Sun; and during an annular eclipse, alignment is perfect but the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely obscure the Sun.
An image of a lunar eclipse

Lunar Eclipses

Check out the upcoming total and partial lunar eclipse events in the United States. During a lunar eclipse, Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight falling on the Moon. Earth's shadow covers all or part of the lunar surface.
Asteroid Bennu mosaic image taken by OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in 2018 Image Credit to NASA, Goddard, and University of Arizona

Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, and Meteorites

A compilation of educational materials about asteroids, comets, meteors, and meteorites including resources for Asteroid Day, meteor showers, and links to NASA missions such as Lucy, OSIRIS-Rex, Psyche, Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), and Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout).
Perseid Meteor Shower - a meteor streaks across the sky 2016 in Spruce Knob West Virginia Credit NASA Bill Ingalls

Astronomy

A compilation of astronomy and space science hands-on activities and resources. Also included are connections to celestial events (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, full moons, and planetary events) and annual events such as Asteroid Day, Yuri's Night, Astronomy Week, and more.
Hands holding blocks and cards for Future Builder SustainABLE activity

Sustainability

A compilation of sustainability public engagement and professional learning resources. Annual events include: World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, Earth Hour, Earth Day, National Public Works Week, Campus Sustainability Month, and more.
Child in a red shirt with a preserved butterfly

Butterflies

A collection of resources about butterflies that can be integrated into other programs or exhibits on butterflies. These butterfly activities and resources focus on light, color, iridescence, pigmentation versus structural color, and technology inspired by nature.
Photograph of an Apple iPhone motherboard.

Computer Science

A compilation of public engagement computing and computer science resources. Also included are resources for annual events including CS Week and the Hour of Code.
Educator and children exploring hydrophobic properties of lotus leaf and nano nano pants in NanoDays activity

NanoDays Kit

Public programs, hands-on activities, and professional development resources about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and their impact on society.
Battery Stack activity components

Energy

A compilation of energy public engagement resources and activities; topics focus on energy sources, transmission, and storage including: electricity, solar photovoltaic panels, batteries, electromagnetic spectrum, and transmission using graphene. Also included are resources for annual events including Static Electricity Day, Nuclear Science Week, Earth Day, and National Chemistry Week
Two children extracting visible DNA from wheat germ in Building with Biology kit

Genetics

A compilation of resources about genetics including DNA, genes, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology. These resources may be useful for incorporating into annual events such as DNA Day and events focused on human health, genetics, and biology.
Exploring Products - Sunblock activity components like the construction paper, swabs, and sunblock.

Health and Medicine

A compilation of health and medicine public engagement resources. These resources may be useful for incorporating into annual events such as World Health Day, DNA Day, Mosquito Awareness campaigns, and events focused on human health.

Books, Reading, and Storytelling

A compilation of STEM read-aloud storybooks, storytelling, companion hands-on activities, lists of STEM books and biographies, library collaboration resources, and annual events such as Summer Reading Programs and National Children's Book Week. Also included are resources for STEM tactile and Braille books for visually impaired participants.
stylized brain and network graphic

Brain and Neuroscience

A collection of public engagement and professional development resources about the brain, neuroscience, and neuro-ethics. Also included are resources for annual events including Brain Awareness Week, World Brain Day, Mental Wellness Month, and more public engagement events.
Girl holding a model of a spacecraft she built with Design Build Test engineering activity

Engineering

A compilation of engineering hands-on educational and professional development resources. Also included are resources for annual events including National Engineers Week, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, National Robotics Week, International Women in Engineering Day, and more.
Nebula Spin Art activity black circles with paint

STEAM - Creative Expression

A collection of STEAM hands-on activities and resources that integrate creative expression including the arts (humanities, language dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and new media).
7 vials filled with quantum dots which are lit up and emit colored light

Quantum

A compilation of quantum public engagement and professional learning resources. Also included are resources for annual events including World Quantum Day held April 14.
Children looking at Gecko with magnifying glass

Biomimicry

A collection of biomimicry resources and examples of how technology can imitate natural phenomena and processes. Public engagement biomimicry activity examples include: self-cleaning surfaces and fabrics inspired by the lotus leaf effect observed in some plant leaves, sticky materials inspired by gecko feet, photonics crystals using structural color similar to the iridescent properties of some insects, bird feathers, and shells.
Children listening wearing paper elephant ears in Horton Senses Something Small NanoDays activity

Early Learners

A collection of activities and resources for young learners and early childhood educators.
Visitors line up by size in Get in Order - large size powers of 10 cards featuring an Earth card

Size, Scale, & Measurement

A compilation of activities and resources focused on size, scale, and measurement. Resources can be incorporated into annual events including Metric Day, Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, World Quantum Day, DNA Day, NanoDays, Earth and space events, and more.
Learner holds up an atomic structure model of graphene

Carbon

Elemental carbon has many different structural forms including graphite, diamond, carbon nanotubes and buckyballs. The arrangement of atoms at the nanoscale dramatically impacts a material’s macroscale properties and behavior. Hands-on activities explore: observable phenomena such as conductivity of graphite; molecular model-building of different forms; and how new technology may affect society.
A facilitator holds a bottle while a learner wafts a scent to her nose

Senses

Hands on activities related to the senses - vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The sensing organs associated with each sense send information to the brain to help us understand and perceive the world around us.
Scientist using an Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM).

Microscopes and Tools for the Small

We use special tools to detect things we can't see with just our eyes. A compilation of microscope resources focusing on revealing things too small to see with just our eyes. Resources include activities and images about magnification, light or optical microscopes, Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM), and Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM).
A model of the intense magnetic fields around the Sun

Telescopes and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

We use special tools to detect things far away that we can't see with just our eyes. Many tools use different wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) including visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, and radio waves. Other tools may detect magnetism—such as the magnetic field lines around the surface of the Sun.
Hands sorting tokens to signify which technology is most important to them

Science & Society

Public engagement programs and professional learning resources that provide opportunities for conversations and consideration of the relationship between science, technology, and society.
Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

Outside Activities

A collection of activities designed for use in the outdoors or those that can be easily adapted to use outside. These activities can work well in different outdoor settings including nature centers, summer camps, parks, and playgrounds.
Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

Camps

Resources for educators creating activities and themes for summer camps, holiday camps, and school break camps.
Citizen scientist taking a precipitation measurement on a CoCoRaHS rain gauge

Citizen and Community Science

A compilation of citizen science and community science resources; these community projects enable people from all walks of life to participate in and advance scientific research.
Lit up dough creature holding flower with squishy circuit battery pack and wires

Making

Maker and making activity resources for hands-on learning, tinkering, creativity, and innovation. 
Tennis ball with dots showing rotational spin

Sports

Resources about the science and technology of sports, exercise, and physical fitness, including the Olympics and World Cup.
Artificial Intelligence brain circuit icon Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Artificial Intelligence

A compilation of public engagement and professional learning resources for informal science educators about artificial intelligence (AI).