YES Blog

Simple Ways Teachers Can Involve Families in STEM Learning

Dipa Shah and Tiffany Case, YES Team — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:49:53 GMT

As educators, we know that students thrive when families get involved and help reinforce learning. Research suggests that this is especially true for STEM. While positive STEM experiences in school have a significant influence, discussions at home amplify that impact by shaping a child’s interest and identity. One study found that childhood conversations about science at home are one of the few early experiences that significantly predict whether a student will later identify as a “STEM person” in college (Dou, 2019).

Even so, many parents hesitate to talk about topics like science and engineering with their kids. Even when family members agree that STEM learning is very important, a few common barriers get in the way:

Plan a Super STEM Summer Camp with YES Engineering Activities

yes@mos.org (YES Team) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:51:11 GMT

Summer programs are a perfect opportunity to give students meaningful hands-on STEM experiences. We have a full round-up of enrichment curriculum for district summer programs, and new units for anyone planning a one-off multi-age STEM event.

But how do YES units work for a one-week STEM camp? Themed day camps are popular with parents because they keep kids learning and break up summer boredom. If you've ever planned your own STEM camp, you already know that the key is having a solid plan for each day well in advance so you can gather materials and plan.

We’ve got you covered.

Engineering Practices: Considering Problems in Context

tcase@mos.org (Tiffany Case Ard, YES Team) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:13:16 GMT

[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms.]

If you walked past this second-grade classroom and heard the lively conversation, you might not guess that it was part of a new STEM engineering lesson.

The teacher asks a simple question, “Think about when you go to sleep at night. Do you like the room to be very dark? Or do you prefer to sleep in a room with a lot of light?"

Hands go up.

“I like it SUPER dark in my room,” says Mateo. “I close the door and even a tiny light annoys me and I can’t sleep.”

“My brother sleeps with a big dinosaur nightlight,” adds Sofia. “I like some light, but it is way too bright.”

“I like the lights off so it’s kind of dark, but with maybe the hall light on,” says Jordan. “So in-between.”

Engineering Practices: Exploring Materials

tcase@mos.org (Tiffany Case Ard, YES Team) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 23:26:14 GMT

[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms. Today, we’re focusing on another core engineering practice: exploring the properties and uses of materials to inform design decisions.]

Everything humans have ever made—from the earliest stone tools to running shoes and satellites—depended on choosing the right materials. Engineers spend a lot of time exploring how materials behave so they can match those properties to a specific goal. Bridges must be made of materials that are strong and durable. A raincoat needs something flexible and waterproof.

Engineering Practices: Teaching Students to Use a Structured Problem-Solving Process

tcase@mos.org (Tiffany Case Ard, YES Team) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:56:12 GMT

[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms. Today, we’re focusing on a foundational practice: using a structured process to solve problems.]

Engineering Practices for Every Classroom (Series intro)

tcase@mos.org (Tiffany Case Ard, YES Team) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:07:20 GMT

[This is the first post in a series about Engineering Practices — why they matter and how teachers can bring them into the classroom. Stay tuned for the series!]

“Ohh… oh. Oh no.”

”What is it?” the teacher asks. The students peer closely at their design. No water is making it through the membrane models they constructed.

”We definitely have to improve it.”

When the students in this clip test their ideas and revise their plans, they’re doing more than completing an activity. They’re engaging in authentic Engineering Practices.

Low-Prep, High-Impact STEM Event Activity Kits

Dipa Shah, Senior Director of Curriculum, Museum of Science — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:26:51 GMT

Whether you're a facilitator, educator, or event organizer, if you are planning a STEM club, afterschool program, or community event, you will need flexible, hands-on, high-quality activities that are easy to set up and run. We created YES STEM Event Activities to take students ages 6-12 through multiple cycles of designing, testing, and improving their solution to a real-world problem, even in short, flexible, or drop-in settings. Children as young as age 4 can participate with help from a caregiver. Each kit includes all materials, signage, and facilitator prompts you need to run an engaging, memorable STEM experience, whether participants drop in for 10 minutes or stay for an hour.

How the YES Computer Science Framework Builds AI Literacy

Dipa Shah, Senior Director of Curriculum, Museum of Science — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:15:00 GMT

Engineers apply computer science knowledge to problem solving, and we think children can, too. For more than two decades, we’ve been partnering with PK-12 educators to bring authentic, hands-on engineering challenges into the classroom. Core to these efforts has been helping educators support students as they engage in engineering practices—the habits and behaviors engineers rely on when solving problems. One of the practices that we want educators and students to be aware of is that engineers use computer science knowledge when designing solutions.

Engineering Critical Thinkers: Integrating Computer Science and Engineering

Dipa Shah, Senior Director of Curriculum, Museum of Science — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:15:00 GMT

"Computers can occasionally mess up.” Hearing those words from a middle schooler feels like a small victory. Today’s middle schoolers are digital natives, but that doesn’t mean that they understand the algorithms underlying the applications that they use. Most kids trust computer output without question because, most of the time, computers are efficient, helpful, and accurate… until they aren’t.That moment of doubt—of healthy skepticism—signals something powerful: a student beginning to think critically about how computational tools work and why they behave the way they do. When students pause and consider the algorithm behind the output on their screen, we know our Youth Engineering Solutions Computer Science module achieved one of its goals.

Integrating Career Exploration into Your Upper Elementary and Middle School STEM Classroom

Dipa Shah, Senior Director of Curriculum, Museum of Science — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:45:00 GMT

As educators, we know that the decisions youth make today—from elective courses to extracurricular activities—can inform and shape their future pathways. Research shows that youth begin to form attitudes about careers as early as elementary school—attitudes that are predictive of the careers they eventually pursue. This means the time for impactful, meaningful career exploration is now.

YES Career Explorations are intentionally designed to address this need. They provide a critical mechanism for introducing youth to a broad spectrum of career options and helping them envision the possibilities ahead.