Let's Discover STEM | Extension | University of Nevada, Reno

What is Let’s Discover STEM?

Let’s Discover STEM is a parenting program designed to encourage and teach parents how to be positive forces for their children's early science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning. Children's interest, knowledge and skills in STEM begin before kindergarten, and, whether in school or at home, early STEM learning supports children’s overall academic growth and later educational outcomes.

The overall goal of the program is to increase young children’s interest, knowledge and engagement in STEM activities, and to empower parents/caregivers to be positive forces for their child. Based on family engagement and ecological frameworks focusing on children, families, schools and community, Let’s Discover STEM focuses on STEM enhancement and parent engagement for families with preschool-aged children.

Some of our goals:

To introduce young children to fun and enriching basic STEM activities
To show parents how to help their children become excited about STEM
To enrich families' home learning environment and lifelong learning skills
To strengthen the relationship between parents and their children

A mother and daughter create artwork from colored paper shapes at a Let's Discover STEM workshop.

Let's Discover STEM is one of many parenting programs and workshops available for families with young children. To learn more, visit Partners in Parenting.

Let's Discover STEM curriculum order form

Extension provides its Let's Discover STEM curriculum to educators. All of our curriculum materials are ADA compliant/accessible. If you are an educator who would like to receive digital access to the materials, please complete the order form below.

Learn more about the program contributor(s)

Program Leader & Contact

YaeBin Kim

Program Leader & Contact

Heidi Petermeier

Program Contact

Olga Soto

Program Contact

Jennifer Walker

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Engineering in the Preschool Classroom Children are natural engineers. Adults can help develop children’s beginning engineering skills by giving them things to build with and to take apart, asking questions, and providing them with safe opportunities and places to test out their ideas. In this fact sheet we focus on the engineering-related skills of building and construction, and movement and force. Weigel, D., Byington, T. and Kim, Y. 2019, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, FS-19-04
Make Your Home a Great Place to Play The many forms of play enrich a child’s brain, body and life in important ways, and STEM in the early years makes a difference in children’s lives. Any time, even this time of coronavirus, can be the right time to make time for STEM. All families can learn more about STEM at home. Ramirez-Barroeta, L., and Andrews, A. 2020, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno
Science in the Preschool Classroom: Physical Science Byington, T., Kim, Y., and Weigel, D. 2017, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension