Northeast MiSTEM Updates

In FY 2024–25, through 936 partnerships, 55,213 students engaged in STEM exploration through fairs, camps, and industry events. Additionally, 135 educator-focused externships were conducted statewide and over 8,187 educators participated in STEM professional learning.

In FY 2024–25, MiSTEM leveraged $1.59 million in external funding from partners — including grants, donations and in-kind support and supported grant proposals that secured over $6.9 million in awarded grant funds, bringing the total leveraged funds to support the State STEM strategy to more than $8.5 million. Every dollar helps build a stronger, more sustainable future for Michigan’s STEM education and workforce.

Read the MiSTEM Advisory Council 2025 Annual Report.

This summer, our Educator Externship Program connected teachers directly with local businesses to strengthen classroom-to-career connections. We had 28 sessions registered, representing 39 full days of externship attendance.

The feedback has been powerful—teachers are already finding new ways to bring real-world experiences into their classrooms.

This summer, 240 students across our region stepped into hands-on learning experiences through the COP STEM Career Exploration Camps. With 22 sessions offered and 313 seats available, the program operated at 77% capacity and provided rich opportunities for students to discover career pathways.

Featured Camps: for our high school students we had: Building & Construction Trades Union Academy, Welding Academy, CNC Machining Academy, High School Beginning Welding and CPR/First Aid Future Hero's in Training. For our middle school students we had; Building the Future: Intro to Construction & Trades, CNC Machining Level 1 and 2, Welding Level 1 and 2, Careers in Public Safety, Wired for Success: Exploring Electricity, Exploring Careers in Healthcare at McLaren Hospital, CareQuest: Your First Step Toward a Career in Childcare, Adventure Healthcare: Career Exploration at OMH, Next Gen Engineers: Innovate, Design, Build, Robotics Camp: Build, Code, Compete!, Vet Quest: Investigating Veterinary Medicine, Indoor Aerial Drone Challenge, Field to Clinic: Careers in Large Animal Veterinary Science, Bridge Building camp.

• Gender Representation: 35% female (84 students) and 65% male (156 students)

• Grade Levels:

  • 7th grade – 12th grade

District Participation

Students represented 13 districts and homeschool groups, with the strongest participation from:

• Gaylord – 86

• Cheboygan – 36

• Onaway – 31

• Homeschool – 27

Real-World Skills

Students earned 217 industry certifications, a powerful step toward career readiness. From CPR to welding and beyond, these credentials connect students to the skills employers value most.

Community Support

Behind every camp experience were 50 business and community partners who shared their expertise, opened their doors, and inspired the next generation of Northeast Michigan’s workforce.

Together, these camps continue to build a bridge between classroom learning and future careers—helping students envision themselves in high-demand fields while strengthening our region’s talent pipeline.

Watch camp videos here:

MS & HS camps - Healthcare, Veterinary Medicine, CPR/FIrst Aid, CareQuest, Public Safety, Engineering,

COP MS & HS camps - CNC Machining, Robotics Drones, Welding, Building Trades, Electricity,

This summer, students across the COOR ISD region engaged in hands-on learning through 11 camp sessions, filling 117 of 148 available seats. Students explored diverse pathways including Welding, Automotive, Careers in Healthcare at Munson Grayling, Drones, Bridge building, eSports, Coding and Creating with Adafruit's Circuits, From Forest to Future: Exploring Careers in Forestry & Conservation, CareQuest: Your First Step Toward a Career in Childcare

By the Numbers

• Gender Representation: 38 female, 79 male

• Grade Levels:

  • 5th grade - 9th grade

    
    

District Participation

Students represented a wide range of schools:

• Roscommon – 21

• Crawford-AuSable – 18

• Fairview – 17

• Mio Schools – 16

• West Branch – 16

• Houghton Lake – 11

• Charlton Heston Academy – 9

• Homeschool – 3

• Other – 5

These camps not only showcased high levels of participation from middle school students but also emphasized critical STEM pathways like coding, robotics, and engineering skills—helping students connect their classroom learning to exciting career opportunities.

This summer, IOSCO RESA hosted 5 STEM Career Exploration Camps, filling 46 of 75 available seats. Students explored diverse pathways including Tech Success, Health Occupations, Future Teachers, Culinary Arts, Business Management.

By the Numbers

• Gender Representation: 21 female, 25 male

• Grade Levels:

  • 7th grade – 9th grade

District Participation

Students came from across the region, with the strongest representation from:

• Oscoda Area Schools – 20

• Whittemore-Prescott – 8

• Tawas Area Schools – 7

• Hale – 4

• Homeschool – 4

These camps gave students hands-on opportunities to discover their interests and begin building the skills that will shape their future pathways.

This summer, Kirtland Community College hosted 8 STEM Career Exploration Camps, giving students opportunities to dive into hands-on, career-focused learning. With 122 seats available and 97 students participating, the camps provided rich experiences in both technical and creative pathways.

By the Numbers

• Gender Representation: 58 female, 39 male

• Age Range:

  • 11 - 17 years

    
    

Featured Camps

• Wired for Success: Exploring Electricity

• HVAC – Stay Cool & Heat Things Up

• Crash Course in Automotive

• Future Nurses

• BioExplorers

• Creative Writing & Advanced Creative Writing

  
  

District Participation

Students represented a wide mix of schools, with the highest numbers from:

• Homeschool – 22

• Gaylord – 19

• Roscommon – 15

• Crawford-AuSable – 10

• Houghton Lake – 10

Additional students joined from West Branch, Johannesburg-Lewiston, Charlton Heston, Tawas, Wolverine, Rogers City, and Michigan Connections Academy.

These camps highlight the power of partnerships in creating engaging, career-connected opportunities for youth—helping them see their future pathways in health, skilled trades, science, and the arts.

ALPENA —Eighty teams from 54 regions worldwide came to Alpena this summer to be crowned the best in the world. The Alpena High School ROV Team, UR2, proudly represented AHS, Alpena Public Schools, and the Alpena community in the MATE ROV 2025 World Championship competition held June 19-21 at the NOAA Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. The team finished in eighth place overall while earning several awards, including the top score in the Engineer Presentation category. Senior Kylie Gagnon received the Engineering MVP Award, and the team was honored with the Spirit Award for their support of other teams during the competition.

Alpena, MI – Alpena Community College welcomed nearly 80 educators for the Huron Shores Ed Tech Conference. From exploring emerging tech trends to discovering innovative ways to enhance learning, our campus was buzzing with ideas and inspiration. We loved being part of the energy and collaboration—thanks to everyone who joined us!

Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad providesstandards-based challenges to 6,300 teams at 425tournaments in all 50 states!In grades 6-12, Science Olympiadconsists of a series of 23 teamevents in each division (Division Bis middle school; Division C is highschool). Each year, a portion of theevents are rotated to reflect theever-changing nature of genetics,earth science, chemistry,anatomy, physics, geology,mechanical engineering andtechnology.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Check out this recent video with more information!

The FARM Science Lab:

• Classes come out to the mobile learning lab

• K-5 NGSS aligned lessons

• 5-8 classroom lessons in a day

• 2-day MINIMUM

• $500/day with a $100 generator fee

The Farm Science Van:

• Educators go into classrooms or is in a designated room within the school

• K-5 NGSS aligned lessons, same as what is offered in the Labs

• 5-8 classroom lessons in a day

• 1-day MINIMUM

• $375/day

If you have any questions, please see the links above or feel free to send them an email at: farmsciencelab@michfb.com

CSforMichigan will be hosting two separate days of focused exploration, learning, and collaborative planning. We hope that you block off the time on your calendars to join us for our in-depth approach to computer science on September 23 & 24. A separate registration is needed for both days.

September 23 – CS Foundations: A Day of Exploration and Learning

The day will kick off with an inspiring keynote followed by four engaging breakout sessions designed to help schools begin or strengthen their Computer Science initiatives. This event will provide educators and leaders with the tools, strategies, and inspiration to take the first steps toward integrating CS into their schools as well as other technology initiatives.

Schedule: Day 1
8:00-8:45 – Arrival and Check in
8:45- 9:45- Keynote –
9:55-10:45 -Session 1
10:55 – 11:45 – Session 2
11:45-12:30 – Lunch (included with registration)
12:45 – 1:35- Session 3
1:45-2:35- Session 4
2:45-3:00 Closing
3:00 – 4:00 Vendor Playtime

September 24 – Next Steps in CS: Collaborative Planning for Districts

The second day is designed as a collaborative experience to help your district advance its computer science initiatives. Districts are encouraged to bring a team of 2-5 individuals who are ready to take the next significant step in their CS journey. During this hands-on day, your team will collaborate with expert facilitators to receive targeted support, gain valuable insights, and have dedicated time to plan, connect, and expand your program.

Schedule Day 2

8:30-9:00 AM – Team Arrival and Check in

9:00 AM – 11:30 Cohort Work Time

11:30- 12:30 PM Lunch

12:30 – 3:00 Cohort Work Time

September 2025 Workshops

Early Structuring Number Instruction

September 8, 4:00-5:30 PM Central
Deepen your understanding of the research-based teaching progression for Early Structuring Number and how it supports movement within Addition and Subtraction Constructs. Add+VantageMR® Course 1 certification is required to attend.

Register: Workshop #633

Targeted Teaching with Ready Set Math

September 10, 3:00-4:30 PM Central
September 11, 3:00-4:30 PM Central
September 15, 4:00-5:30 PM Central
September 16, 4:00-5:30 PM Central
Join us for a complimentary hands-on workshop designed to deepen the impact on student learning! This session will dive into data collection strategies and how to align targeted instruction with student needs. There are no prerequisites for this FREE workshop.

Addition/Subtraction to 20: Workshop #626
Fractions: Workshop #627
Multiplication/Division: Workshop #628
Addition/Subtraction to 100: Workshop #629

Mathematizing in Small Groups Through Games

September 10, 5:00-6:30 PM Central
Participants will dive into gameplay as a lens for learning—playing and analyzing a math-rich game to uncover the embedded mathematical ideas and skills it supports. There are no prerequisites.

Register: Workshop #619

Number & Operation Tools & Activities

September 16, 3:00-4:30 PM Central
September 18, 3:00-4:30 PM Central
Introduce yourself to the three domains of early numeracy and how to use tools to increase student engagement in each area. There are no prerequisites to attend!

Grades K-2: Workshop #600
Grades 3-5: Workshop #601

Foundational Concepts for Adding and Subtracting Numbers up to 100

September 17, 5:00-6:30 PM Central
This hands-on, research-based workshop explores the strong connections between the structure of number, conceptual place value, and multi-digit addition and subtraction, laying a solid foundation for success with addition and subtraction to 100. There are no prerequisites.

Register: Workshop #630

Building Number Sense Beyond Counting in Small Groups

September 18, 5:00-6:30 PM Central
Through hands-on experiences and video examples, you’ll learn how to differentiate your instruction for small groups focused on structure of number. Math Recovery Specialist: Part 1 certification is required to attend.

Register: Workshop #620

From Seeing to Imagining: Deepening Counting Strategies

September 22, 4:00-5:30 PM Central
Learn to recognize key mathematical behaviors and discover targeted instructional activities that support the shift toward more advanced strategies. Add+Vantage: Numeracy Foundations, Add+VantageMR® Course 1, or Math Recovery Specialist: Part 1 certification is required to attend.

Register: Workshop #634

Finding the Foundation for Emergent Learners

September 23, 3:00-4:30 PM Central
Target identifying abilities of students at Emergent Levels and Constructs during this workshop. Collaborate on assessment accommodations and modifications to find a foundation for building new skills and understanding. Add+VantageMR® Course 1, Math Recovery Specialist: Part 1, or MRIS certification is required to attend.

Register: Workshop #602

The Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (NEMIGLSI), in partnership with the MiSTEM Network and Michigan Works!, is excited to host a hands-on career exploration event for eighth-grade students. This EcoCareers Expo will offer students an up-close look at real-world job opportunities in conservation and natural resource fields—both across northeast Michigan and throughout the state. The goal is to help students make informed decisions about high school electives, extracurricular activities, and future career paths that align with the natural environment and resources around them.

The EcoCareers Expo will be held in Alpena on October 21st, 2025 from 9:30am-1:30pm. Session 1 will run from 9:30-11am with lunch provided for exhibitors from 11-12pm, and Session 2 will run from 12-1:30PM.

Use this free tool to help you locate STEM grant opportunities available in your community! Funds may be used for a variety of learning activities, including technology, science and engineering kits, and makerspaces - anything that expands STEM education. Grants are supported by federal, state, and local foundations/corporations.

Local Community Foundations offer many grant opportunities for teachers and schools.

Going PRO with Professional Trades Careers in Michigan

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• ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS Careers related to the humanities and to the performing, visual, literary and media arts.
• BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND TECHNOLOGY Careers related to all aspects of business including accounting, business administration, finance, information processing, and marketing.
• ENGINEERING/MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY Careers related to the technologies necessary to design, develop, install, or maintain physical systems.
• HEALTH SCIENCES Careers related to the promotion of health as well as the treatment of injuries, conditions, and disease.
• HUMAN SERVICES Careers in early childhood, civil service, education, hospitality, and the social services.
• NATURAL RESOURCES AND AGRISCIENCE Careers related to natural resources, agriculture, and the environment.