What started as a small list of Chicagoland camps that focus on helping kids acquire science and tech skills has grown into the area's definitive guide to Chicago's summer STEM camps. Kids can build robots, learn coding (computer programming for us old folks), and make things explode at these great camps. With our list of 30+ coding camps, science camps, and more we've got your back when it comes to finding a great science or tech camp for your ... [ Read More ]
Winter Break STEM Camps
There's a chill in the air. Jack Frost has relocated to Chicago and will soon be nipping at our noses. That means winter break is just around the corner. While a change from the everyday routine can be nice, it's still important to keep kids active and busy. We've partnered with several of Chicago's leading STEM education providers to bring you a directory of science and technology-themed winter break camps that will keep your kids engaged and ... [ Read More ]
STEM Camps for Girls in Chicagoland
Maker Mom readers tend to know the facts about women's under-represtation in STEM careers. It's an issue an many levels, but part of the issue is the so-called STEM pipeline. We need to get and keep girls interested in STEM now so that there will be a supply of highly qualified women who are poised to take advantage of lucrative career and STEM leadership opportunities later. This is especially true in areas like technology and physics. For some ... [ Read More ]
Applications Open for the USNA STEM Camp 2016
It's that time again. I know a lot of you are looking for Chicago STEM camps, but if you want a unique experience that will not only be fun, but (I'm guessing) will also help your teen stand out in the college admissions process, be sure to look into the USNA STEM Camp. The Summer STEM Program at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland is accepting applications though April 15, 2016. The son of a Maker Mom reader attended a couple ... [ Read More ]
Galileo Innovation Camps for Kids Coming to Chicago in 2016
After hearing my San Francisco Bay Area friends rave about Galileo Innovation Camps for Kids, I offered one them a chance to post about her experience on The Maker Mom a few years ago. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I heard the camps were coming to Chicago. Even more exciting, they are the lead sponsor of the 2016 Maker Mom and STEM Kids Chicago Summer STEM Day Camp Guide! STEM Kids Chicago is The Maker Mom's local companion site, by the ... [ Read More ]
I Stand with Ahmed. Um, Can My Kid Get a Scholarship to Space Camp Too?
A few years ago the Young Maker Teen happened upon Nootropic Design's defusable clock and asked to get the kit. In our post-Columbine, post-9/11/01 era, I was wary of a clock that looks like a bomb. I warned him that even if I did buy the kit, he'd never be able to take the completed fake clock bomb out of the house for fear of it being mistaken for a dangerous device. I always suck the fun out of things. In the end, he did not pursue the ... [ Read More ]
Manufacturing Engineering Camps
My office isn't the only thing I'm cleaning this summer. I'm also digging into a virtual pile of old half-written blog posts saved in my "drafts" file. Let's just say there might have been more unpublished posts than there are bones in my body. There's no need to provide a heads-up on an interesting STEM event that took place two years ago, but I did find a few diamonds in the rough, like this bit on Fabricator's and Manufacturers Association ... [ Read More ]