Parents and Students
STEM Education Resources, Science Project Support, and Science Fairs for Students and Parents

STEM Education Resources
Ask Doctor Universe
Dr. Universe, and her team at Washington State University, supports parents in answering children’s science question. A helpful tool for individual student research projects.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- K-8 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-8
Back Pocket Learning at Home from UCSC Life Lab
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- K-8 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-8
Bay Area Discovery Museum Creativity Resources
Activities that boost creativity for the whole family.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, K-12 Science, Engineering, Art
- Grade Level:
- K-12
Best Books about the Environment
Librarians at Stanford recommend K-8 children’s books and young adult literature that deal with environmental issues.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- ELA, K-8 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-8
California Academy of Sciences at Home Science Projects
Notice and wonder, as a family, about everyday objects in your household and soon science discovery will unfold.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, K-12 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-12
DiscoverE Engineering at Home
Library of hands-on activities, articles for parents and educators, and video challenges you can use to engage kids in engineering at home.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, K-12 Science/Engineering
- Grade Level:
- K-12
E-Bird from Cornell Ornithology Lab
At home outdoor family bird watching investigations.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, K-12 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-12
Exploratorium at Home Science Projects
Tips to nurture curiosity and investigation as families engage in open-ended projects while making sense of the world together.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, K-12 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-12
Generation Beyond Aviation
Interactive aviation activities for families developed by Lockhead Martin and Discovery Education that foster innovation and critical thinking to solve real-world problems.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, Middle & High School Science
- Grade Level:
- 6-12
Girl Start STEM at Home
STEM activities for girls and their families to explore at home.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, Science
- Grade Level:
- K-8
Math at Home from California Mathematics Council
Free, short, printable parent guides on supporting children in mathematics—also available en Espanol.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site, Guidebook
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, K-12 Common Core Math
- Grade Level:
- K-12
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Learning at Home Resources
Free online guided activities for Pre-K to Grade 12 students and their parents or caregivers that reveal the wonders of the ocean.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site, Guidebook
- Category:
- Activities to do at home; K-12 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-12
NISE—National Informal STEM Education Network at Home Activities
Hands-on STEM activities that can be done with materials available at home.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at Home, Science
- Grade Level:
- PK-8
Parents As Learning Partners
Digital Youth Divas
What roles do you play in your child’s STEM learning? In this activity, mark the roles you play frequently with a sticker or a check.
- Audience:
- Parents
- Resource Type:
- Category:
- Family Engagement, Next Gen Science-STEM, Parenting
- Grade Level:
- K-12
PBS Learning Media
Free standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for California parents and educators.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at home; K-12 All Subjects
- Grade Level:
- K-12
RAFT—Resource Area for Teaching at Home Activities
STEAM Learning Activity Sheets are free online tools that guide parents, guardians, and students through hands-on learning activities with common household items.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at home; K-12 Science
- Grade Level:
- PK-8
SciGirls Home Activity Guides
Activity guides in English and Spanish to engage girls in STEM.
- Audience:
- Parents, Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Activities to do at home; K-8 Science
- Grade Level:
- K-8
STEM Education in California
California Department of Education
Learn more about California’s commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
- Audience:
- Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- Next Gen Science-STEM
- Grade Level:
- K-12
The Tech Interactive at Home
Tech Interactive’s collection of activities, also available en Espanol, are easily adapted for at-home learning for the whole family to develop the problem-solvers of tomorrow.
- Audience:
- Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- K-12 Science, Next Gen Science-STEM
- Grade Level:
- K-12
Youth 4 Youth STEM at Home Activities
Engineering & Maker activities at home to support 21st Century skills.
- Audience:
- Educators, PTA Leaders
- Resource Type:
- Web Site
- Category:
- K-12 Science, Engineering
- Grade Level:
- K-12
Science Project Support
- Cornell University: Ideas for student projects
- Science Buddies: Hands-on Science Resources
- Science Fair Projects: Illustrated science fair projects ideas experiments
Sponsored Science, STEM and STEAM Fairs
The Synopsys Science & Technology Championship
The annual science fair for students in grades 6-12 in Santa Clara County, CA. Participants advance to the California State Science Fair and the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair
science-o-rama!
Our generic name for elementary and middle school science fairs in Santa Clara County
The Synopsys Sonoma County STEAM Showcase
A science fair for students in grades K-12 in Sonoma County, CA
Sciencepalooza!
The annual science fair for 9th – 12th grade students from the East Side Union High School District
The Synopsys Alameda County Science Fair
The annual science fair for students in grades 6-12 in Alameda County, CA

South Valley Science and Engineering
Provide a safe, inclusive, juried science and engineering fair for all 5th-8th grade Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Martin students.
Monterey County Science & Engineering Fair
The annual science fair for middle and high school students in Monterey County, CA
Oakland Unified Science & Engineering Fair
The annual science fair for Oakland Unified K-12 students in Oakland, CA