February CYESS round up: STEM Talk Special Edition & grants for environmental ed

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are excited to showcase the systemic change young people can make in their communities when their afterschool programs support them to layer action onto their STEM learning. If you would like to know more or submit a blog about your youth action program, please contact us.

New Resources

• Welcome to the community of practice Innovation World! Innovation World operates several free, globally accessible programs that place youth voice, curiosity, and civic-minded problem-solving at the center. These initiatives are designed not as competitions or gated opportunities, but as open learning spaces where participation itself is the outcome. Learn more about Innovation World in their recently published blog!
• STEM Next, in partnership with Verizon, has launched new online STEM Learning Journeys to support afterschool educators in delivering engaging, high-quality STEM experiences with minimal prep. These flexible, out-of-school-time–friendly lesson bundles cover topics such as AI and ethics, nature and sustainability, space and engineering, and circuits and prototyping. Programs that complete the Nature & Sustainability Learning Journey may also be eligible for a stipend of up to $1,500.
• STEM Talk | Special Episode: Tax Credit Opportunity - Jodi Grant from Afterschool Alliance breaks down H.R. 1's new federal tax credit that could funnel billions into STEM programs starting 2027—and why we must create scholarship-granting organizations by December 2026.
• The Space on Earth podcast is a youth-led storytelling platform that amplifies the voices of Northern New Mexico teens as they explore science, culture, and the environment through a civic lens. By interviewing community members, sharing personal reflections, and addressing local issues such as dark-sky preservation and land access, students develop their civic identity and public voice. The podcast fosters youth agency, digital storytelling skills, and intergenerational dialogue—positioning young people as thought leaders and changemakers in their communities.

Research Update

• We are pleased to share that our team will be presenting a Lightning Talk on our National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research at the 2026 AISL Awardee Meeting, hosted virtually by the REVISE Center from February 24–26. The presentation will highlight early insights from Beyond Individual Impacts: Identifying Characteristics of Youth STEM Programs that Yield Community Level Impacts, a project that examines how youth-led STEM learning initiatives can contribute to meaningful community and systems-level change. The AISL Awardee Meeting offers an important opportunity to connect with researchers and practitioners engaged in advancing informal STEM learning. Through this session, we look forward to sharing emerging ideas from the project and engaging in conversation with others working at the intersection of youth voice, leadership, civic engagement, and STEM education.

We are thankful to the programs and partners whose work continues to inform and shape this research, and we value the opportunity to share early reflections while the project is still underway. We look forward to continued dialogue and collaboration as the research moves forward. Thank you to the University of Washington and the National Girls Collaborative for your amazing partnership on this work. Written by project co-PI Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

• Civic Learning Week [March 9-13]: The Afterschool Alliance and iCivics/CivxNow are collecting resources on the intersection of STEM and civics to promote during this week. Please add anything you would like promoted to this document, or you can add an event if you'd like to join in the celebration of civic education and be on the iCivics website.
• National Afterschool Association Conference [Washington, DC | March 11-14]: Find CYESS and other members of our community of practice presenting at the NAA conference.
• Youth Voice Week [Virtual | April 13-17]: An annual initiative of the Afterschool Alliance and CYESS that encourages programs across the country to elevate the voices of the young people they serve. CYESS will be putting out social media resources for partners during Youth Voice Week. Share the voices of the young people in your program with #YouthVoiceWeek to participate!

Professional Development Opportunities

• Funding: Financial Tools and Sustainability Strategies [Webinar Recording] - The nonprofit revenue landscape has been deeply disrupted by federal retrenchment, and nonprofit organizations in just about every field of endeavor are trying to find their way to a stronger financial future. In this webinar, we will introduce Nonprofit GPS, a new initiative to help organizations make well-informed decisions and navigate business model risks in these disruptive times. We’ll also dig into StrongNonprofits, a library of resources to strengthen your nonprofit financial management, created by The Wallace Foundation in partnership with BDO. Additionally, we'll look ahead to the federal funding landscape in 2026 and learn about the federal funding opportunities that are currently supporting afterschool and summer learning programs.

Funding Opportunities

• The Environmental Education Grant Program [Closes March 3, 2026] supports locally and regionally focused environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and community members. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques that increase public awareness and knowledge about local environmental issues and provide participants in its programs the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions toward the environment.

Opportunities for Youth

• The National Youth Leadership Council has announced the Power of We Creativity Contest. This contest invites students in grades 6-12 to creatively explore how working together for a common good strengthens communities and how civic learning, service, and engagement can drive positive change. One winner will be selected in each of the creative categories, with each receiving $1,000. Learn more. Submissions are due by March 1.