Middle school is a critical window for shaping students’ attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and math.
- According to the National Science Board, by 8th grade, about 50% of students have already decided whether they like STEM fields — meaning early exposure is key.
- Students who express an interest in STEM by 8th grade are 2–3 times more likely to eventually pursue a STEM degree.
In addition, research has shown that hands-on STEM experiences boost problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking. In fact, a 2020 report by the Afterschool Alliance found that students participating in afterschool STEM programs (including camps):
- Improved STEM attitudes by 80%
- Increased STEM skills by 73%
- Felt more confident about solving real-world problems by 72%
STEM training can help close gender and diversity gaps:
- Summer STEM camps specifically help encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to envision themselves in STEM careers.
- Girls who attend STEM camps are more than twice as likely to say they are interested in a STEM career afterward compared to girls who do not (source: Girl Scouts Research Institute, 2012).
Summer camps help students reduce summer learning loss — the average student loses 20–30% of math skills without summer academic engagement. STEM camps keep students mentally engaged, applying math, science, and engineering in fun ways — reducing that "slide" and keeping academic momentum strong. In addition,STEM camps almost always involve group projects, labs, design challenges, and team competitions, which help build leadership, communication and collaboration skills.
Finally, STEM camps encourage real-world application. Camps often have students build robots, design video games, solve environmental problems, or simulate space missions — showing them how STEM solves real-world challenges. Research shows that students who see the real-life relevance of STEM are more motivated to engage academically (National Academy of Sciences, 2011).
