The facts are clear: STEM and afterschool are a natural fit.  Check out these reports compiled by the Afterschool Alliance about STEM and afterschool.

STEM Learning in Afterschool: An Analysis of Impact and Outcomes (September 2011)

This report presents an analysis of evaluation data from afterschool STEM programs around the country. A review of the evaluation reports shows that high-quality STEM afterschool programs yields STEM-specific benefits such as improved attitudes towards STEM fields and careers, increased STEM knowledge and skills, and higher likelihood of graduation and pursuing a STEM career. The report demonstrates that afterschool programs are playing a key role in engaging children and youth from diverse communities in STEM fields and careers.

This paper provides compelling reasons to include afterschool programs as integral partners in STEM education and highlights several existing models for providing infrastructure and building capacity to enable afterschool programs to facilitate high-quality STEM learning. By combining evaluation reports from afterschool programs with research findings that indicate an early interest in STEM careers is related to a pursuit of such careers, the paper presents a picture of how afterschool programs are contributing meaningfully to our nation's STEM education system.

With generous support from the Noyce Foundation, three of the nation's leading afterschool and summer learning organizations are joining forces in a collaborative effort to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning during the out-of-school hours.

The 21st century's information economy is creating more jobs that require not only a college education but also at least some expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, collectively known as STEM. In order to stay competitive in the global marketplace and provide our children with the best chance to succeed in life, we must get more students on the STEM path. Combining STEM learning with afterschool programming offers middle school students a fun, challenging, hands-on introduction to the skills they will need in high school, college and the work place. This MetLife Issue Brief highlights afterschool programs that incorporate STEM activities, giving students time to develop an interest in science and inspiring them to learn.

In order to better compete with their international peers in the 21st century, American students will need to be better prepared to work in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. This brief explains the ways in which afterschool can engage kids in these fields, collectively known as STEM.