Afterschool STEM Takes Off

Posted by America After 3PM on September 1, 2026

A new study finds a huge leap in afterschool programs providing STEM education, but students in rural communities and low-income families lag behind.

Knowledge and applications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) underpin much of modern life. These fields form the basis of most of the global economy while also playing an integral role in people’s daily lives. STEM is the foundation for myriad things that we rely on every day, from the weather apps we consult to decide what to wear to the advanced medical scan that catches a tumor early. As we confront the rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI) in our daily lives and the workplace and enter a new era of space exploration that will create entirely new industries, a long-building question comes into even sharper focus: What does it take to shape, manage, and thrive in a world built on STEM?

In just over a decade, STEM in afterschool has gone from a promising idea to a near-universal feature: 92% of parents now report that their child’s program offers STEM learning opportunities, up from 69% in 2014, reaching an estimated 6.4 million children.

But the progress is not evenly shared—the children with the least access, especially those in rural and low-income communities, are at risk of being left furthest behind, especially in an AI-accelerated economy.

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Also, read “Why STEM skills are civics skills: what that means for afterschool programs.“