STEM Resources for Educators
Keep Students Engaged With These Hands-on Activities
This year’s Ready, Set, STEM Handbook is filled with free and accessible STEM activities for elementary and middle school classrooms. You also can share it with parents for fun and learning at home. Best of all, these activities allow children to tap into their natural curiosity through the act of play.
We release a new handbook each year, so stay tuned for the next one!
Free STEM Activities to Turn Your Classroom into a Collaborative, Creative Space
Solve a Math Story Mystery
Build a Nobel Prize-Worthy Idea
Inductee-Inspired Activities
These fun activities are a great way for students to unwind and learn more about the world’s greatest innovators: National Inventors Hall of Fame® Inductees.
Read Industry White Papers
Simplifying Differentiated Learning With Invention Education
Explore research about differentiated learning along with a few strategies you can use in your district to integrate it into various learning environments.
How to Prepare Students for the Jobs of the Future
Read highlights from the World Economic Forum’s recent report about skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow, and learn what you can do to prepare your students.
SEI Research Shows NIHF Program Boosts Attendance, Grades and Test Scores
Learn how National Inventors Hall of Fame® invention education programming helps increase students’ grades, attendance and more.
How Can Invention Education Boost Students’ Engagement and Agency?
Learn how educators can use Self-Determination Theory to build a classroom environment that encourages students to be engaged in their learning.
How to Address Gaps and Build a Strong STEM Pipeline
Discover some solutions for common STEM pipeline gaps, such as helping students overcome math and science anxiety, and encouraging diversity in STEM.
Invention Education as a Context for Children’s Identity Exploration
Dive into groundbreaking research on children’s invention-related self-perceptions and find out how invention education can support their identity development.
Keeping Students Engaged in Out-of-School Time
Learn how the U.S. Department of Education’s Engage Every Student Initiative can help schools provide valuable out-of-school-time learning opportunities.
How Invention Education and Free-Choice Learning Inspire Lifelong Exploration
Discover how free-choice learning and invention education can empower students and transform formal learning.
How Invention Education Prepares Students for the Future
Can you teach creativity? Explore this age-old question and learn how invention education can create a safe environment where children are free to dream and create.
Integrating Effective Social-Emotional Learning in Your School District
Learn how to support students’ well-being through invention education and social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies.
Inventive Solutions for Uncertain Learning Environments
Discover how school administrators can support their students and teachers during times of uncertainty with flexible learning solutions and classroom strategies.
Making Children's Learning Visible Through Invention Education
Learn how invention education not only helps students develop key 21st-century skills, but also empowers them to make their learning visible.
Now Is the Time for Invention Education
Explore how invention education can help educators develop SEL activities and support students' mental health.
Helping Children Overcome the Fear of Failure
Learn about a few strategies educators can use to help students learn that failure is simply a part of the learning process.
Building the I Can Invent Mindset Through Real-World Lessons From Inventors
Unpack parts of the I Can Invent® Mindset and see how students learn about them through the stories of National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees.
Prioritizing Engagement in Summer Recovery Planning
Discover some tips educators can use when planning student engagement strategies and designing summer learning recovery plans.
Using Invention Education to Support Social-Emotional Learning
Examine how invention education supports the development of key skills like collaboration and responsible decision-making.
Implementing Project-Based Learning in Distanced Environments
Learn how a project-based learning approach can help distance learning programs adapt to each child’s interests and educational needs.
The I Can Invent Mindset: The National Inventors Hall of Fame’s Approach to Invention Education
Discover the key 21st-century skills that make up the I Can Invent Mindset — the foundation of National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM education programs.
Hybrid Learning in a Time of Uncertainty
Examine a few blended learning strategies schools can use to support students’ learning in both online and in-person environments.
Essential 21st-Century Skills for a Post-Pandemic World
Find out how you can help prepare your students to thrive in our rapidly changing world by developing 21st-century skills like critical thinking and collaboration.
How to Encourage an Innovative Mindset
Learn how teachers can help students develop an innovative mindset, which better equips them to face challenging situations in the future.
The Power of Intellectual Property Triangulation
Discover the inspiring story of the invention of the Post-it® Note as an example of how intellectual property protection can help new inventions succeed.
Stopping Summer Slide
Explore some of the solutions educators can use to prevent summer slide with Title I funding.
How to Use Title I Funds Most Effectively
Review the history and evolution of Title I funding, and learn how these funds can be used to support disadvantaged students in your school district.
The Value of Project-Based Learning in STEM Education
Examine the benefits of incorporating project-based learning principles into STEM programs.
The Benefits of STEM Education at the Preschool Level
Learn about the benefits of STEM education for preschool learners and how these programs use the power of play to unlock students’ creative potential.
The Importance of Early Exposure to Innovation
Explore the many benefits of introducing children to relatable, innovative role models through hands-on STEM education programs.
How to Cultivate a Maker Mindset in Your Makerspace
Discover how you can help students develop a maker mindset through interactive and empowering STEM activities.
Why Intellectual Property is Essential to STEM Education
Learn why intellectual property is a vital part of STEM education and understand the role these protections have played in American history.
How Exposure to Innovation Closes the Gender Gap in STEM Fields
Discover the important role of early childhood education programs and STEM role models in encouraging more girls to explore STEM fields.
How to Prepare the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Explore a few ways to help students build the key entrepreneurial skills they’ll need to become the leaders of the future.
What Do Children Want to Be When They Grow Up?
Discover how educators can use out-of-classroom learning opportunities and STEM role models to inspire students to become innovators.
Watch Partner Stories for Inspiration
How Carroll County Public Schools Inspires Teachers and Students Each Summer
How Escondido Union School District Addressed Achievement and Engagement Gaps
How Pinellas County School District Reached More Children Through Summer Programming
How Cleveland Metropolitan School District Transformed Summer Learning and Met State Standards
How Lorain City Schools Provides Accessible STEM Experiences
How Stacy Smith Brought Creativity Into the School Year