Celebrating National STEM Day 2024: Inspiring the Next Generation
Celebrating National STEM Day 2024: Inspiring the Next Generation
Today, 8th November, we celebrate National STEM Day, an occasion to spark curiosity, encourage learning, and inspire young minds in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). As we celebrate this day, we reflect on the STEM Hub’s continuous efforts in promoting STEM subjects and their drive to connect education and industry.
Why is STEM important? And how can we use this day to spread enthusiasm for these fields?
STEM disciplines are at the centre of most modern innovations, from smartphones, space exploration to advancements in healthcare. With the rapid pace of technological change, the demand for skills in these areas keeps growing. There’s an increasing need for skilled professionals and encouraging young people to pursue STEM subjects today will help ensure that the UK has a secure workforce.
Comments from Claire Willis, Team Lead at the STEM Hub
“STEM can be seen in all of our lives, whether that is through the car we drive, the power we use to heat our homes or the medication we take. It is important that on National STEM day we recognise the impact that STEM industries and the people that work in them has on us all. The STEM industries are a real career choice for many individuals, so we need to continue to inspire future generations by highlighting the exciting, diverse and fulfilling employment opportunities that are available right across the sector.”
How National STEM Day came to be
National STEM Day serves as a reminder of the importance of these disciplines in our daily lives and the need to make STEM more accessible and appealing to younger generations. Originally launched as an awareness day to bridge the gap between STEM education and career paths, this day has now grown into a nationwide celebration with activities, events, and campaigns across schools, universities, and industries.
An opportunity to highlighting role models in STEM
Celebrating diverse role models from a variety of backgrounds can help students to visualise themselves in STEM careers. Young learners benefit from seeing successful engineers, scientists, and tech experts from all walks of life, and National STEM Day is the perfect opportunity to spotlight these inspiring figures.
“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it ” This quote is often attributed to Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space and a strong advocate for diversity and representation in STEM fields. The message behind this quote highlights how visibility of diverse role models in STEM can inspire others to pursue similar paths. Today is an opportunity to recognise the contributions of people from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM fields. By doing so, we can inspire young girls, people from ethnic minorities, and others to see themselves in these crucial fields.
How is this day celebrated?
Educators, organisations, and industry leaders use National STEM Day to showcase how exciting and varied STEM careers can be. Schools are encouraged to organise hands-on activities like coding workshops, engineering challenges, and science experiments for students to get involved in.
What can your school do to get involved?
Here are some engaging ideas for schools to celebrate National STEM Day! Each activity is designed to inspire curiosity and help students see the real-world applications of STEM.
Hands-On STEM Stations
Description: Set up different stations in the school where students can participate in quick, hands-on experiments. Ideas include building simple circuits, testing density with various liquids, or building small structures with spaghetti and marshmallows.
Examples: Stations could feature coding activities, mini rocket launches, or DNA extractions from strawberries.
Build a STEM Wall of Fame
Description: Celebrate famous figures in STEM by creating a Wall of Fame. Each class could research and create a poster of a scientist, mathematician, engineer, or technologist, especially highlighting diverse and underrepresented individuals.
Class Activity: Encourage each class to present their figure to other students, teaching about their contributions and why they are important in STEM
STEM Escape Room Challenge
Description: Design an escape room experience with clues based on science and math puzzles. Students work in teams to solve each clue and "escape" within a set time limit.
Each year, the STEM Hub hosts STEMFest events across the North East and Yorkshire & Humber regions to celebrate all things STEM. These events are designed to inspire students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by introducing them to exciting career paths in these fields. Companies from various STEM industries are invited to showcase their work, allowing students to engage in hands-on activities that represent real-world STEM roles. If your school is interested in participating, join us for the next STEMFest in June 2025 in Yorkshire! Find out more: Yorkshire and Humber STEMFest 2025 (Schools Registration) Tickets, Tue 24 Jun 2025 at 09:30 | Eventbrite
As we celebrate National STEM Day, we’d love to know what you have planned!