Explore future STEM careers, engage in advanced mathematics and engineering topics, and develop the skills and mindsets needed to be the innovators of today and tomorrow. IMAGINE STEM Saturday classes are available each Spring and Fall semester for Kindergarten – 12th-grade students and families in the Champaign-Urbana area.

All courses include project-based activities with close attention to advanced mathematics, introducing algebra concepts as early as kindergarten with the goal of long-term participants being algebra-ready by 8th grade and calculus-ready by 12th.

Spring 2024 IMAGINE STEM SATURDAYS

SP 24 Application is closed.

Dates: February 17, 24, and March 2, 2024

•  Kindergarten – 2nd grade: (Little Electrical Engineers) Explore electricity production and use. Build simple circuits and learn more about how electricity is used to power the things around us. Build mathematics skills as you make measurements, chart results, and identify patterns. 
• 3rd – 5th grade: (The Mathemagic of Geometry) Create and explore hands-on geometric puzzles and art while learning about shapes and their properties. Apply the concepts of perimeter, area, volume, and angles to unleash your mathematical creativity!
• 6th – 8th grade (Exploring the Molecular World) Molecules are all around us. When we understand what molecules make up material, we can make sure materials like clothes and plastic bags can be recycled. With new tech like AI, everyone can be a molecule maker! Make virtual molecules, make a solar cell, and learn to think like a scientist as you are tasked with a challenge – can you figure out what fruits and vegetables can generate the most electricity? Get a firsthand look at how AI helps scientists, and how it can help your scientific exploration! 

All classes are scheduled for:

• 9:15 am: Check-in
• 9:30 am: Class begins
• 12:30 pm: Dismissal with Carry-out Lunch

Location(s)

• K-5 Classes: Faith United Methodist Church, 1719 S Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL 61820
• 6-8 Classes: Nathan Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory, 205 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801

Parent / Adult Caregiver Involvement is an Important Part of the IMAGINE STEM Program:

• Elementary (K-5): side-by-side learning with the child and an adult caregiver will participate together during all Saturday classes
• Middle School (6-8):  IMAGINE Family STEM Nights
• High School (9-12): Explore Grainger Engineering events

All courses include project-based activities with close attention to advanced mathematics, introducing algebra concepts as early as kindergarten with the goal of long-term participants being algebra-ready by 8th grade and calculus-ready by 12th.

Partnerships for Equity, Access, and Representation in STEM Initiative Overview

IMAGINE STEM Saturdays were developed as part of the Partnerships for Equity, Access, and Representation in STEM Initiative funded by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Call to Action grant as a social impact initiative. PEAR-STEM was a collaboration of Champaign-Urbana community organizations Driven to Reach Excellence & Academic Achievement for Males (DREAAM) & the Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center (UNCC), and the Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering Program (ChiS&E). University of Illinois participants included Psychology and Engineering faculty, as well as specialists in public engagement and STEM curriculum development & teaching (WYSE & MSTE). The overarching goal was to address inequities in preparation for STEM careers among K-12 students and to identify how to optimize preparation for historically excluded Black and Brown children. 

Through PEAR-STEM, IMAGINE STEM Saturdays were initially implemented in the C-U community. Participating teachers received professional development to strengthen course content and delivery, and the courses were evaluated for effectiveness and continue to grow.