Great things are starting to happen in Oklahoma with programs and activities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is connecting kids with exciting careers!

"Mick", "Tori" and "Nar" give you the skinny on "what's cool man"!

Check out the videos below and visit the OK Career Planner website.

Green Country Council launches STEM Activities at annual "Camp Fire Birthday" event

(Tulsa) - On March 3rd, Camp Fire USA Green Country Council hosted their annual "Camp Fire Birthday" event at Camp Okiwanee near Sapulpa, OK. Over 560 Camp Fire youth, leaders, family and friends were in attendance. The event always hosts and array of camp activities such as the climbing wall, archery, hikes and crafts... but this year several interactive STEM activities were added.

One of the most popular STEM activities included the Tulsa Children's Museum's mobile exhibit, POP! The art and Science of Bubbles, where kids created and learned about advanced shapes like a dodecahedron or triangular prism. Another STEM activity which allowed youth to use their creativity included making stick structures with bamboo skewers and Styrofoam peanuts. Youth learned how to reinforce their structure to add more stability for increasing weight. The final STEM activity reflected one of Camp Fire's core values - that nature can awaken a child's senses, curiosity and desire to learn. At the event, while small groups of youth, families and clubs walked along the hiking trail, they stopped at several stations to listen to their environment, look for different plant seeds and understand cmaouflage in nature.

First LEGO League promotes science and technology for kids through real-world research and interactive LEGO-robotics competitions.

Want to build a robot but don’t have a rocket scientist handy? LEGO-robotics enthusiasts in Oklahoma say “No problem”! Just about anyone can be a coach for a LEGO-robotics team. Kids ages 9-14 get engaged in hands-on learning about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) while building LEGO robots in a competitive setting. Along the way, kids learn about team-building and scientific research while improving their communication skills and professional values.

Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma is promoting STEM opportunities through a partnership with First LEGO League and also by offering "STEM Kits". These kits are available for students of all ages to do fun and engaging activities. More information can be found on their website by clicking here.

The Oklahoma Science and Engineering Foundation (OKSEF)

A statewide organization utilizes FIRST LEGO League (FLL), a worldwide robotics competition to promote science, technology, math and engineering for kid’s ages 9-14. An autonomous LEGO-robot, a real-world research project, and a community service project requiring teamwork are all part of the program. Teams have the opportunity to attend state competitions and with the best teams advancing to the World Festival. FLL teams come from places like scout troops, home-school teams, Boys and Girls Clubs, after-school programs and neighborhood teams.

Oklahoma Mathematics and Science Partnerhip Day at the State Capitol

On February 5th, nine public school districts from around the the state of Oklahoma were recognized and congratulated on their commitment to excellence in Math and Science education.  Oklahoma's Superintendent of Instruction, Janet Barresi and Oklahoma State Department of Education STEM Director, Jeff Downs acknowledged, encouraged and celebrated the efforts of the school districts to meet the needs of Oklahoma students and prepare them to be C3 (College, Career and Citizen) ready.  The nine main school districts (Byng, Clinton, Lawton, Meeker, Osage Hills, Putnam City, Tulsa, Valliant, and Vanoss) partnered with 84 other school districts to train a total of 456 teachers on inquiry base instruction of math and science.  Learn more about the Math and Science Partnership Day by clicking here.

The Sooner Engineering Education Center teaches Middle School students about Civil/Structural Engineering and how fun it is to apply academics to the real world!

The University of Oklahoma's  Sooner Engineering Education (SEED) Center hosted 8th grade students from McLoud  Middle School for a fun, hands-on day of STEM learning. This STEMulating day is part of theOU College of Engineering's outreach program to promote experiential and Informal STEM education.  SEED students challenged the middle school students to construct a facility that would become the future venue for a NFL team located in Oklahoma. The teams of 4-6 students gathered materials, and worked feverishly to construct domes that can support twenty-five wooden blocks. The students quickly applied the Engineering Design  Process they learned earlier that morning.  It was a great day to learn about STEM! Learn more about the  SEED Center by clicking here.  To schedule a field trip click here to email Ms. Jackie Foos.

2011 Oklahoma's K-12 STEM Education Report Card (Oklahoma's  Pipeline to Jobs & Economic Prosperity)

Oklahoma's key corporations, organizations, and stakeholders partnered with ASTRA (The Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America) and STEMConnector to research and gather data about the  state of STEM education related to workforce.  The information gathered and the report card give is a snapshot of how important STEM education is to Oklahoma's economy and future workforce in relationship to industries, government and nonprofit organizations. Click on the report card to download and review.