STEM Academy @ Oregon State University

STEM Academy @ Oregon State University offers activities such as walking, hiking, and enjoying both outdoor and indoor spaces on the OSU Corvallis campus while discussing and learning about conservation, ecology, evolution, and different habitats and species in Western Oregon. Participants build and program physical devices that interact with their environment, program the micro:bit using the MakeCode platform, and build a physical device of their choice using the micro:bit as a controller. The program also includes designing and developing multi-level platformer and top-down arcade-style games, as well as hands-on projects such as solar cars, chromatography, chemical reaction cars, reverse engineering, super absorbent polymers, 3D design and printing, Ozobots, K'NEX building challenges, sculpting, metal casting, using 3D modeling software, exploring the processes of casting and 3D printing with metal, and seeing a demonstration of how a metal 3D printer works.

• Ages: 11–14 years old
• Schedule: Short camps and week-long sessions on select dates in June, July, and August, with options ranging from half-day to full-day programs

Wild About Wildlife Camp runs June 23 and 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Making with Microcontrollers runs July 6–10 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Making Arcade Games runs July 6–10 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Engineering Camp runs August 3–7 or August 10–14 (one week per participant) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the Art+Metal 3D Printing Camp is a half-day program. Needs-based scholarships are available, and STEM Academy is a self-funded program that relies on grants and business or personal donations to offer programming and scholarship opportunities. Program activities, measures, and protocols are subject to change based on executive orders, other legal requirements, health authority guidance, or local conditions, and the program does not offer any programs in the Bend area.

STEM Academy is led by Cathy Law, Ph.D., Director of STEM Academy at Oregon State University. Its mission is to engage K–12 youth in programs designed to increase college attendance and participation in STEM fields, broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM, maintain year-round programs aimed at increasing college enrollment, retention, graduation rates, and life-long learning, and provide mentoring programs for youth in the early stages of their STEM exploration. STEM Academy also establishes and maintains STEM partnerships within the state and across the nation based on researched best practices and emphasizes STEM endeavors that promote social equity.

Last updated December 28, 2025.