Expanding STEM Access Through Community Outreach at Thanksgiving Point 

Across Utah, many students face barriers to educational opportunities due to a lack of funding, transportation, or location. Our outreach programs aim to close that gap by providing high-quality, hands-on STEM learning experiences directly in their communities. These lessons inspire curiosity and help students build the confidence they need to thrive in and out of the classroom.

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At Parkside Elementary, a third grader came to one of our after-school science programs completely uninterested. He was sent by his parents and was certain science wasn’t for him. His dream was to play in the NFL, and he believed football players didn’t need science. 

But our educators listened. They connected with his passion and showed how science could enhance it. During engineering lessons, he built a football stadium. In physics, he learned how to calculate the perfect spiral throw. By the end of the program, he said, “Science invented the football. Without science, there would be no football, and there wouldn’t be any stadiums, and there would be no Super Bowl.” Helping students see how science applies to their real-life interests is at the heart of what we do. 

Discover how our outreach programs help kids connect STEM to their dreams. 

Midway through a coding program at Vineyard Library, one student planted fake viruses into every other student’s game project. The next week, classmates opened their files to find chaos and a meme. There were tears. There was disappointment. And it seemed like a total loss. 

But what happened next surprised us. That student wrote apology letters and spent the next class helping rebuild the projects. Instead of falling apart, the group became stronger. They showed empathy, teamwork, and problem-solving beyond anything we expected. 

“This class helped me see that I can fix a hack on my video game, even in the worst of times.”
“You must always be mindful of how your decisions affect other people.” 

The most powerful lessons often come from overcoming setbacks. That’s where real confidence is born. 

In our youngest outreach classes like Itsy Bitsy Science and Jr. Scientist, we help kids explore not just science, but also their place in the world. Compassion and curiosity are at the heart of every lesson. 

In one class, children played a game where they acted as migrating birds flying south for winter. Along the way, they faced real-world obstacles like pollution, city lights, and lost habitats. Some made it. Some didn’t. When the game ended, the room filled with questions and concern. “Wait, birds have to go through all that?” That spark of empathy is what we hope for. When children care about the world around them, we’re not just growing scientists. We’re helping raise compassionate, thoughtful humans.