High School

High School Students

Why STEM?

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are integrated into many industries and some of the fastest growing careers in the country. STEM creates critical thinkers, problem solvers, and pioneering minds which are the driving force behind innovation and a thriving economy. Many young adults are inspired to pursue STEM because of the many cool and exciting job opportunities available in these fields.

Highlighted Career…

Epidemiologists investigate public health problems and work to prevent them from spreading or from happening again. They report their findings to public policy officials and to the general public. You can find epidemiologists doing many things such as:

Investigating the factors that cause the development of diseases
Analyzing the best diets for preventing disease
Traveling the world to help monitor and contain an infectious virus
Researching a new virus strain to see if it has the ability to spread between humans

High School STEM Planning

Preparing for Greatness…

The time has come for you to let the world know who you are and what you can do. The programs in this section are designed to give you the edge you need as you seek to expand your horizons and make the transition from childhood to adulthood.
How to Become a STEM Superstar

SCIENCE CLASSES IN HIGH SCHOOL

Take as many science and mathematics classes as possible. Colleges want students who have more than the required three science credits on their transcript. To be prepared for college-level mathematics courses, students must successfully master Algebra II course content. Students must enroll in a non-trivial mathematics course during their senior year. Work with your teachers and guidance office to see what math and science courses are available to you.

Harford and Cecil County Public Schools each offer focused instructional opportunities at the high school level for students interested in pursuing STEM careers. For more information, please visit the following:

Cecil County STEM Academy – Through special collaborative agreements between Cecil County Public Schools and Cecil College, eligible students can be involved in advanced studies in science and mathematics. At the same time, they can earn as many as 18 college credits while in high school. Courses will be taken at both the local high school and Cecil College. To be eligible for the STEM Academy, students must be enrolled in Geometry or higher mathematics in the eighth grade. In order to continue at Cecil College and be eligible for tuition reductions, students must meet and complete established admissions criteria.
Harford County Public Schools Magnet Programs – The Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High School is a school-within-a school magnet program that provides academically talented students with educational experiences that integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics beyond traditional advanced program. Admission to this rigorous four year program is by competitive application based on prior academic success, interest and motivation in science and mathematics, teacher recommendations and written communication skills. Each year hundreds of students apply for the 55 seats in the freshman class. Entering students must be ready for Algebra II as an entry level mathematics class, having completed courses in Algebra I and geometry prior to high school.

PARTICIPATE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Many colleges and employers look for students that have participated in after school and summer programs, as well as competitions and internships. Fortunately, there are many extra-curricular STEM programs available at the high school level. Click on the links to the left for more information regarding competitions/clubs and summer programs. Check out our COLLEGE page for lists of internships and scholarships, many of which are available to high school seniors and recent graduates.

More STEM Programs In the Community…

Clubs such as the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are not specifically geared towards STEM, but offer STEM activities for students who are interested.

The Harford County Public Library and the Cecil County Public Library offer various STEM programs for students.

The following programs are also available in our area:

Physics is Phun – A free public lecture series presented by UMD in order to encourage and inspire students’ interest in science and physics.
Destination Imagination
4H Youth Development
Civil Air Patrol – ages 12+

High School Clubs and Competitions

Siemens We Can Change the World Competition – This competition gives teens the opportunity, tools and inspiration to become agents of change. Students from across the country are challenged to create sustainable environmental improvements that can be replicated around the globe.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

Spirit of Innovation Challenge – The Conrad Foundation believes high school students have the potential to create the next world-changing, commercially-viable product or service.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

Lexus Eco Challenge – The Lexus Eco Challenge is a life-changing opportunity for teens across the nation to make a difference in the environmental health of our planet, one community at a time.
Grades: 6-12
Cost: Free

Google Science Fair – The Google Science Fair is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

THINK – A national competition which selects students with innovative projects that have societal impact. The winners are brought to MIT to experience TechFair and network with industry professionals and MIT professors.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

Stockholm Junior Water Challenge – Students are challenged to address current and future water challenges.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

National Science Bowl – Students compete in a fast-paced verbal forum to solve technical problems and answer questions in all branches of science and math. Each team is composed of four students, one alternate student, and a coach. Regional and national events encourage student involvement in math and science activities of importance to the Department of Energy and the Nation.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

MATH

Moody’s Mega Math Challenge – A program where military labs run a 1-4 week in-depth hands-on STEM experience for middle and high school students. The purpose of GEMS is to provide introductory experiences in STEM and spark interest among students.
Grades: 7-11
Cost: Student participants receive a small stipend to offset the costs of participating in GEMS.

University of Maryland Young Scholars Discovery – The M3 Challenge spotlights applied mathematics as a powerful problem-solving tool, a viable and exciting profession, and a vital contributor to advances in an increasingly technical society.
Grades: 11-12
Cost: Free

Anita C. Leight Estuary Center – Paddle the watery world of Otter Point Creek, explore the forest habitat, track down the wild and green things that live around us, and investigate the mysteries of nature in their science lab. Dare to adventure the out of doors and see what fun nature exploration can be!
Ages: 5-17; varies with program
Cost: $90-110; varies with program

Maryland Math League – Students compete for points awarded for the completion of extremely challenging mathematics problems.
Grades: All grade levels
Cost: Free

CHEMISTRY

US National Chemistry Olympiad – The Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology recognizes remarkable talent early; fostering growth for high school students who are willing to challenge themselves through science research. Through this competition, students have an opportunity to achieve national recognition for science research projects that they complete in high school.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

ACS Chemistry Club – The ACS ChemClub gives high school students a unique opportunity to experience chemistry beyond the classroom. Students engage in activities that enhance their understanding of the science, get them involved in the community, and help them better appreciate how chemistry plays a role in our everyday lives.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

ENGINEERING

FIRST Robotics Competition – FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of up to 25 students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as students can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: $5,000-$6,500 per team of 10-25 students

Zero Robotics Challenge – A robotics programming competition where the robots are SPHERES satellites inside the International Space Station. The competition starts online, where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Participants can create, edit, share, save, simulate, and submit code, all from a web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists are selected to compete in a live championship aboard the ISS. An astronaut will conduct the championship competition in microgravity with a live broadcast!
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

FIRST Tech Challenge – FTC is designed for those who want to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams of up to 10 students are responsible for designing, building and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: $925+ per team of up to 10 students

NASA Student Engineering Design Challenge – In this unique education initiative, students work collaboratively as engineers and scientists to solve real-world problems related to the James Webb Space Telescope.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

NASA Great Moonbuggy Race – Students are required to design a vehicle that addresses a series of engineering problems that are similar to problems faced by the original Moonbuggy team.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

Team America Rocketry Challenge – Teams design, build and fly a model rocket that reaches a specific altitude and duration determined by a set of rules developed each year.
Grades: 7-12
Cost: Free

West Point Bridge Design Contest – Students will download a program online and use it to design a bridge and submit it for judging.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

Maryland Engineering Challenge – Hosted by the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the mission of the is challenge is to introduce students in grades 1 to 12 to the role of engineers in today’s society and connect what students learn in school with real-world engineering concepts. There are competitions designed specifically for Elementary, Middle, and High School students.
Grades: K-12
Cost: $5 coaches fee

Six Flags America Roller Coaster Design Contest – Teams build roller coaster models built of materials that include wood, wire, string, or other low cost items.
Grades: 5-8 and 9-12
Cost: N/A

TECHNOLOGY

ExploraVision – A science competition that encourages teachers to make science a part of their curriculum. Groups of 2 – 4 students simulate real research and development. Students study a technology of interest and predict what that technology might be like 20 years from now. Teams will explore what is necessary to make their visions a reality. Past winners have envisioned technologies ranging from a self-cleaning toilet to a new method of treating diabetes.
Grades: K-12
Cost: N/A

eCYBERMISSION – In this web-based STEM competition, students compete for regional and national awards while working to solve problems in the community.
Grades: 6-9
Cost: Free

MIT Invention Grants – InvenTeam students rely on inquiry and hands-on problem solving as they apply lessons from science, technology, engineering and math to develop invention prototypes.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

RESEARCH COMPETITIONS

Science Talent Search – Each year, approximately 1,800 American high school seniors conduct original research projects and submit their work in the country’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition.
Grades: 12; or students in their final year of high school
Cost: Free

http://www.societyforscience.org/isef – 7 million high school students from around the globe develop original research projects and present their work at local science fairs with the hope of winning. Those who do, progress to regional, state and national competitions. Ultimately, the select few- 1,500 promising young innovators- are invited to participate in Intel ISEF. At this week-long celebration of STEM, students share ideas, showcase cutting-edge research, and compete for more than 3 million USD in awards and scholarships.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) – This regional symposium invites the participation of all high school students who have completed an original research investigation in a STEM field to apply to the regional symposium and compete for awards and recognition, including the chance to advance to the national symposium.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: Free

RESOURCES FOR SCIENCE COMPETITIONS

>Science Buddies
College Board

High School Summer Programs

Maryland Summer Centers – These are a variety of residential and nonresidential camps with topics such as computer science, engineering, robotics, physics, space science, and environmental science.
Grades: 3-12
Cost: varies with program

UNITE – A four-to-six week, pre-collegiate summer program for talented high school students from groups historically under-represented and under-served in STEM fields.
Ages: varies with location
Cost: varies with location

High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP)/Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) – A commuter program for high school juniors and seniors and undergraduate students who demonstrate an interest in STEM to work as an apprentice in an Army funded university research laboratory.
Grades: 11-12
Cost: Student apprentices are paid $10 per hour.

The Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP) – Sponsored by George Washington University and the Department of Defense, SEAP is an eight week summer program for high school students. SEAP is designed so that students can apprentice in fields of their choice with experienced scientists and engineers. This opportunity provides students with valuable experience needed to make informed career decisions. Students apprentice with their mentors on mutually agreed upon projects.
Ages: 9-12
Cost: Students receive a $2000 stipend.

REAP – An 8 week summer internship made available to 120 high school apprentices each in university research laboratories.
Ages: 16 and older
Cost: Selected students are awarded a stipend.

Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) – A program where military labs run a 1-4 week in-depth hands-on STEM experience for middle and high school students. The purpose of GEMS is to provide introductory experiences in STEM and spark interest among students.
Grades: 7-11
Cost: Student participants receive a small stipend to offset the costs of participating in GEMS.

University of Maryland Summer Girls – This is a free program open to all upcoming 9th, 11th and 12th grade females* with one thing in common— the desire to learn more about physics. No prior physics knowledge is necessary, but applicants are required to write a statement explaining why they would like to attend this program.
Grades: 9-12, girls only
Cost: Free

iD Tech Camps – Offered at Towson University. Curriculum areas include programming, engineering, animation, and robotics. Week long, over-night and day camps available.
Ages: 7-17
Cost: $829-$879; varies by program

Engineering Innovation – A Johns Hopkins University introductory engineering course offered to high school students in the summer.
Grades: 9-12
Cost: $2,200+

Math and Science Camp – An intensive one-week academic program providing students with hands-on learning in the areas of engineering, robotics, and flight & rocketry.
Grades: 5-11
Cost: TBA

University of Maryland Materials Research Science and Engineering Center – The camps provide a venue to share cutting-edge science and technology, and to generate interest among budding young scientists. The camps also strive to build confidence in students’ abilities in and perception of science and engineering. The camps are designed with teachers to meet STEM curriculum needs and standards, and to build appreciation for science and engineering. High school camps include specific curriculum goals that are incorporated into students’ fall semester learning and final semester evaluation.
Grades: 4-12
Cost: Free