Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards for STEM Week 2026 Design Challenges

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards for STEM Week 2026 Design Challenges

Seven organizations will engage more than 10,000 students across Massachusetts in hands-on STEM learning and career exploration

BUZZARDS BAY — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced nearly $465,000 in STEM Week 2026 Design Challenge grants to seven nonprofit organizations that will engage more than 10,000 PK–12 students across Massachusetts in hands-on STEM learning and career exploration. These STEM Design Challenges come just ahead of Massachusetts STEM Week, October 19–23, 2026, underscoring the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s focus on expanding hands-on STEM opportunities for students across the Commonwealth.

The STEM Design Challenges are a key part of Massachusetts STEM Week 2026, giving students opportunities to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to real-world problems, explore college and career pathways, and engage with professionals from industries across the Commonwealth. This year’s theme, “STEM starts now,” emphasizes that STEM learning can begin at any age, from our youngest learners to adults, and that STEM education and career opportunities are available right now in Massachusetts. This year’s Design Challenges will expose students to fields including advanced manufacturing and biomanufacturing, environmental engineering, clean energy and sustainability, robotics, space science and aerospace, and accessibility.

“We want every student in Massachusetts to have the chance to get excited about STEM and see how it connects to the world around them,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These Design Challenges give young people the chance to try something new, solve real problems and see where their interests can take them. We’re excited to bring these experiences to more than 10,000 students across our state.”

“One of our goals on the STEM Advisory Council is to connect students with the incredible opportunities we have right here in Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These Design Challenges bring schools, afterschool programs, employers and community partners together to give young people meaningful, hands-on experiences. Students get to build new skills, meet STEM professionals and learn about careers they may not have considered before.”

STEM Design Challenge grants aim to expand access to applied STEM learning and increase participation among students who have historically been underrepresented in STEM, including students of color, girls, low-income and first-generation students, English learners, and students with disabilities. The grants also support educators with professional development and resources to implement STEM programming and encourage employer engagement that connects classroom learning with real-world STEM applications and career pathways.

“We want students from every background and every community to have access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “These Design Challenges are especially focused on reaching students who have historically been underrepresented in STEM and giving them opportunities to build skills and confidence. ‘STEM starts now’ means giving every learner the chance to start exploring STEM today and discover where those experiences can take them in college, careers and beyond.”

During Massachusetts STEM Week, child care providers, schools, colleges, employers and community organizations across the Commonwealth come together to provide hands-on learning experiences, introduce learners to STEM professionals and careers, and demonstrate how STEM skills are used to solve real-world challenges. 

The STEM Design Challenge grants are awarded through the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council and advance the Council’s three priorities: STEM skills for all learners through applied learning; guided pathways to college, careers and lifelong learning; and alignment to economic and workforce development through employer partnerships.

“Massachusetts Maritime Academy is proud to host the STEM Advisory Council and support its work to expand hands-on STEM learning and strengthen pathways into careers across the Commonwealth,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, President of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “From giving young people opportunities to explore STEM and discover where those interests can take them, to providing industry professionals with specialized training for fields like offshore wind, Massachusetts is building the skills and talent needed for our future workforce.”

The grants were announced during a meeting of the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay. While on campus, Council members also had the opportunity to see another example of applied learning supported by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC): the Academy’s new Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) facility. MassCEC awarded over $2.5 million to Massachusetts Maritime Academy to develop the facility, which provides hands-on safety training to prepare offshore workers for emergency water evacuations. MassCEC serves on the STEM Advisory Council and has supported investments in education and workforce training that connect learners with skills needed by Massachusetts industries.

The seven FY27 STEM Design Challenge grantees are:

Blackstone Valley Hub for Workforce Development — Blackstone Valley Hub will offer “From Problem to Response: Solving Real-World Challenges,” empowering high school students to tackle meaningful, real-world challenges in biomanufacturing using STEM and design thinking. In partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), Blackstone Valley Hub will provide programming and support for the MassMakes Innovation Challenge at the Massachusetts Manufacturing Mash-Up (Mash-Up) and the MassMakes Innovation Showcase, reaching approximately 600 high school students.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts — Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts will offer “Detect & Design: Imagine It. Create It,” an exciting slate of STEM challenges engaging more than 300 students in grades K–12 through hands-on STEM design and engineering experiences. Programming will include scientific investigation, sustainable engineering and robotics activities delivered through events, school-based programming and GSEMA’s STEM-ON-THE-GO mobile learning program. Students will also engage with STEM professionals from RTX to learn about engineering and career pathways.

Museum of Science — The Museum of Science will offer “Engineering Careers Exploration,” engaging upper elementary and middle school students in hands-on engineering activities that connect real-world problems with STEM careers. Students will explore careers related to disaster recovery, the environment, health and product design, while this year’s funding will also support development of a new Accessibility Careers Exploration. Student-facing accessibility resources will be available in English and Spanish. The Museum estimates its STEM Week activities will reach approximately 300 educators and 3,000 students.

The Space Consortium, Inc. — The Space Consortium will offer its Space Exploration Design Challenge, a series of nine space-themed activities expected to reach more than 1,000 PK–12 students through six in-person events and three hybrid statewide programs. Activities will include astronomy and solar observation, space career exploration, science media literacy, space ethics and United Nations planetary-defense simulations. The Consortium will draw on a Massachusetts network of more than 120 experts and relationships with organizations including Massachusetts General Hospital, Draper, Busek, universities and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium.

Wade Institute for Science Education at Manomet Conservation Sciences — The Wade Institute, in partnership with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment and Lloyd Center for the Environment, will offer “H2Whoa! Hydroengineers at Work.” Students in grades 5–8 will investigate water pollution and drought and use nature-inspired engineering to design systems that capture and filter water. Participating educators will receive professional development, curriculum and classroom materials to implement the challenge with their students. This design challenge will reach up to 100 participating educators, who in turn will reach approximately 5,000 middle school students.

Work-Based Learning Alliance, Inc. — Work-Based Learning Alliance will offer a “Designing a Sustainable Future” challenge engaging 250 high school students from across Massachusetts. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to design a sustainable urban aquaculture farm integrating solar energy, recirculating water filtration and community food solutions. The hybrid experience will include engagement with industry professionals, support and professional development for participating educators, and a statewide showcase where students will present their designs and receive feedback from industry professionals.

YMCAs of Massachusetts — YMCAs of Massachusetts will offer a “GreenFit: Design a Sustainable YMCA,” engaging more than six YMCA’s statewide and more than 55 middle and high school students in a hands-on design challenge focused on sustainability. Students will apply STEM skills and the engineering design process to explore how YMCA facilities can become more sustainable.