Introduction
The STEM Scholars Program is an academic and career-enrichment STEM program designed for high school students from Chicago and nearby suburbs.
Our Mission
The STEM Scholars aims to empower marginalized high school students to pursue post-secondary education and STEM careers through hands-on activities and real-world exposure. By nurturing curiosity, critical thinking, and collaboration, we prepare the next generation of STEM leaders who will solve complex challenges, advance innovation, and make meaningful contributions to society.
Our Values
The STEM Scholars Program actively works to address systemic barriers that have historically limited access to STEM opportunities for marginalized groups. In prioritizing high-quality enrichment opportunities, the program also fosters lifelong learning. Student success and empowerment are core values of the STEM Scholars program. These values are reflected through our commitment to the following:
- Ensuring that all students feel welcomed, supported, and confident to thrive.
- Fostering critical thinking and innovation by encouraging students to ask questions, challenge ideas, and develop solutions to real-world problems, nurturing curiosity and creativity.
- Mentoring through strong, consistent relationships between students and facilitators that creates an environment where trust, encouragement, and guidance are prioritized.
- Challenging societal norms through sustainability and ethical responsibility, helping students understand their role as future innovators responsible for creating a better future.
- Encouraging lifelong learning to help students understand that learning extends far beyond the classroom, focusing on building curiosity, resilience, and a drive to keep exploring.
- Emphasizing communication to help students strengthen their collaboration skills and gain confidence in public speaking through team-based activities, discussions, and presentations that promote problem solving, idea sharing, and peer support.
STEM Scholars Student Quotes
This program has opened my eyes to the work opportunities in the STEM field, and I’m much more interested now. It has helped me understand what I want to do with my future.
There were a lot of skills I developed during the program that will be useful to me in the future. I will use what I learned about presenting and networking to get ahead in my professional career.
It made me 100% certain that I want to go into STEM. It made me feel more confident by introducing me to a bunch of fields that could be potential pathways for me. Going to the tours and experiencing the campuses myself helped me feel ready and excited for the future.
The STEM Scholars program has given me reassurance of what I want to major in the future. I have realized how much I really like working with my hands and thinking of ways to build things, like when we learned about bridges.
STEM Scholars in the News
