July 31, 2025

Welcome back, educators! As you gear up for a brand-new school year, we’re here to support you with FREE, high-quality STEM resources designed to engage and inspire your students. Whether you're looking for hands-on activities, career exploration videos, or ready-to-use lesson plans, we’ve got everything you need to start the year strong!

A study in the journal Science Daily presents compelling new evidence that neurons in the brain's memory center, the hippocampus, continue to form well into late adulthood. The research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden provides answers to a fundamental and long-debated question about the human brain's adaptability!

Why does this matter? This discovery proves that the human brain retains its regenerative capacity throughout life, highlighting its remarkable plasticity. It opens new therapeutic possibilities for treating memory loss and psychiatric disorders by targeting neurogenesis. Additionally, it deepens our understanding of how the brain continues to adapt and support learning across the entire lifespan.

The Apex AI Challenge is America’s first AI competition designed to identify and develop the nation’s next generation of artificial intelligence leaders. Open to high school students across the U.S., this groundbreaking program focuses on live problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world application.

What sets the Apex AI Challenge apart:

• Live, team-based challenges where students tackle real-world problems using AI

• Mentorship from industry professionals throughout the competition

• Career exposure and pathways through our deep industry connections

• Inclusivity – students of all experience levels are encouraged to apply

Stay tuned here for more information about this AI competition!

Get your students engaged in a critical classroom debate with the Humans vs. Robots activity! This dynamic resource sparks curiosity, creativity, and conversation around the role of robots in the workplace.

Guide your students through a thoughtful debate centered on the question: Can and should robots replace humans in the workplace? With debate guides, character cards representing different jobs, and a grading rubric, students will explore both sides of the issue and learn how to craft respectful, evidence-based arguments.

Humans vs. Robots Includes:
• Student Worksheet
• Teacher Guide
• Debate Guide & Rubric
• Human vs. Robot Job Character Cards

Show your students how to think like engineers and communicators!

Did you know that AI isn’t just powering self-driving cars and chatbots—it’s also helping students explore what they might want to do in the future?

AI-powered career tools don’t just look at what you like—they learn how you think and help uncover careers that truly fit your strengths, even ones you’ve never heard of!

Try out one of these career quizzes here! 

Join the Hip Hop M.D., Maynard Okereke for a conversation with Dr. Jessica Frick. She’s a Microgravity Chemist & Materials Scientist who is using microgravity as a tool to pioneer the manufacturing of semiconductors in space! Watch the episode and explore free resources and the lesson plan here.

Join host Tamara Robertson for a conversation with Muriel Magloire. She’s a nondestructive test inspector who uses advanced technology and tools to evaluate critical equipment – like airplanes, cars, bridges, and even amusement park rides – to prevent failures and keep people safe. Watch the episode and explore free resources and the lesson plan here.

Join the Hip Hop M.D., Maynard Okereke for a conversation with Eythan Jenkins. He’s a software engineer at Northrop Grumman who contributed to the groundbreaking Manta Ray project—a first-of-its-kind autonomous underwater vehicle. Watch the episode and explore free resources and the lesson plan here.