SummerSTEM is a collaboration between WakeEd Partnership, the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), and numerous businesses and organizations in North Carolina. This award-winning program enriches educators’ understanding of the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workplace using Project-Based Learning (PBL) with an emphasis on STEM businesses and careers.

During SummerSTEM, one-hundred K-12 educators from WCPSS schools engage in hands-on experiences designed to bring real-world lessons to the classroom.

For one week during the summer, educators participate in immersive experiences with local companies exploring targeted career fields and experience college-level applied STEM instruction a Wake Technical Community College. Throughout the following school year, experienced educator mentors coach SummerSTEM participants in lesson design and project-based learning.

In the spring, as the school year comes to a close, educators and their students present the impact of the PBL work completed in the classroom at a public STEMposium event.