Year One. Game Changed.
Leveling the Playing Field in STEM: Our First Year of Impact and Growth
STEM Playbook impacted over 10,000 students in its first year.
In Year One, we set out to test a simple idea:
If you meet kids in the spaces they already love — courts, fields, rec centers, and other out-of-school environments — you can transform how they experience STEM.
With partners like the City of Cleveland, Boys & Girls Clubs, United Ways, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, we brought that idea to life, reaching over 10,000 students across afterschool, summer, and community programs and connecting their favorite games to real-world STEM skills and future careers.
The need is urgent - and growing.
Students spend more than 80% of their time outside the classroom, yet most don’t have access to the hands-on, real-world learning that drives confidence and achievement. In Ohio, 5 in 6 children who want afterschool programs can’t access them, even as only 27% meet key math benchmarks.
Meanwhile, employers face a rapidly growing need for STEM talent, and 77% of graduates say they’d engage more if learning reflected real-world strengths and career pathways. Students want relevance, connection, and hands-on experiences — and the system isn’t delivering them.
Real Results. Real Growth. Real Futures.
STEM Career Interest
93% of participating students want to pursue a STEM career.
Building Confidence
67% of participating students felt “very confident” solving problems.
STEM Excitement
9/10 average rating for how excited students felt about STEM learning.
Make an impact today
Let’s power the futures of 10,000 more students, together.
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“It was truly an experience to see our students so engulfed in STEM Playbook. I have been in the education field for many years and to see such a variety of ages happily engage in many areas of instruction and hands-on lessons just blew me away. Your staff is truly passionate about STEM Playbook and your mission.”
Taylor Turner, Community Impact Manager, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley
What’s Happening: STEM Playbook in the Community
Stories of student growth, hands-on learning, and the STEM tools reshaping how kids play, learn, and build their futures. Get the Play-by-Play.
