How to Start a STEM Club

Do you and your friends love STEM? If so, you should start a STEM Club at your school! It is a great way to get involved, meet new friends and develop your STEM skills. These skills will help you be better prepared for college and your future career. Who doesn’t want that?! Here are some helpful tips for starting a STEM Club.

1. Define your purpose and focus

STEM covers a wide variety of topics and interest levels so before you start building your club, be sure what you want the purpose to be and what you want it to focus it on. Also, check to see what other similar clubs might be in place at your school so you are starting something different than what is already offered. Your purpose might be things like:

• Learning more about real STEM jobs
• Building confidence in STEM topics
• Tutoring and helping peers in STEM topics

Consider the main focus of your club’s activities and events. What do you want to do in your time together? Here are some ideas:

• Do projects and experiments together
• Enter STEM competitions
• Go on field trips
• Invite guest speakers

Keep in mind that your club doesn’t necessarily have to be related to all STEM topics. You may want to build a club in a particular area of STEM such as a space, archaeology, medical, etc.

2. Get school support

Most schools have a defined process for starting a club. Reach out to your school administrators to find out how students can get a club started and the deadlines. Many schools require that a club be set up by a certain date and complete paperwork. It is also very helpful if you can have a teacher or administrator who will sponsor or support your club. Talk to your teachers who teach STEM topics and share your vision with them. It’s likely that one of them will support your concept and help you get things started. You’ll be able to learn a lot from them. And don’t forget to turn to your parents for help.

3. Build a Plan

Like any STEM project or experiment, having a plan for your club is important. These are the action steps you will take to get your club launched and moving. Here are some things to include in your plan:

• A name for your club
• How you will advertise and get your peers excited about joining
• When and where you will meet
• How you will earn money for your projects and activities
• The curriculum or resources you will use with your club
• How you might partner with or help other clubs

There are many resources on the internet that can help with your club activities. These include design challenges, competitions, projects, etc. Don’t forget to reach out to contacts and businesses in your area who might be able to help sponsor your club.

4. Launch your club

For some students, getting a club started at school will be easy and straightforward. For others it might be more challenging. But don’t give up. With a vision and a clear plan, you will be able to overcome obstacles and make establishing a STEM club a reality. If you feel like you are running into some roadblocks, reach out to your friends and get some help. Sometimes having a team around you can help you get some traction with your ideas. Emphasize the things that will get the most interest from your peers and make sure they know it will be FUN!

Clubs are a great way to build your talents and grow through experiential and hands on learning. Not only will you enjoy the experience, you will learn some important leadership skills that will help you the rest of your life. Good luck as you get your club started!

Comment below if you have started a club and have additional tips and suggestions. Or if you are starting a club, feel free to ask any questions that the Bright Futures Begin With STEM community can answer.