Are you a passionate young STEM enthusiast looking to make a difference? The STEM Next Flight Crew is your chance to elevate your voice and inspire others on their STEM journeys. This national program brings together talented youth from across the country to learn, collaborate, and share their passion for science, technology, engineering, and math.
What is the STEM Next Flight Crew?
The Flight Crew is a unique program designed to empower young people to become STEM advocates and leaders. Through specialized training in public speaking, content creation, and networking, participants gain the skills and confidence to effectively communicate their STEM experiences and inspire others.
What are the benefits of joining the Flight Crew?
From April-December 2025, Flight Crew members:
- Act as a champion for OST STEM by sharing their first-hand, impactful STEM experiences beyond the classroom;
- Work with state leaders on relevant opportunities to advocate for OST STEM, create social media content and connect with media;
- Aspire to break down stereotypes and spark their peers’ curiosity in STEM by connecting their STEM experiences to everyday life;
- Engage in leadership development opportunities, including public speaking, social media, and connections to mentors;
- Receive resume and interview coaching as well as access to scholarships and internships
Types of activities applicants should feel comfortable with:
- Making public appearances: Engaging audiences both online and in person.
- Recording video testimonials: Creating and sharing video content about your experiences and perspectives.
- Speaking at events: Presenting and interacting during various gatherings, both online and in-person.
- Writing about your experiences: sharing your journey through written Q&A’s or narratives.
How to Apply
The application for the 2025 Flight Crew is open until March 12, 2025. To apply, you must be between the ages of 13 and 18 and have a passion for STEM.
Raina’s Story
One of the highlights of the 2024 Flight Crew was Raina, a talented young scientist from Jackson, MS. Raina joined the program to share her passion for environmental science and inspire other girls to pursue careers in STEM.
Raina says: “Through an afterschool engineering program, I learned about sustainable design principles. Applying these concepts to a school-wide project, I collaborated with classmates to create eco-friendly solutions, showcasing the real-world applications of STEM in addressing environmental changes.”
Raina’s story is just one example of how the STEM Next Flight Crew can transform the lives of young people. By providing them with the tools and support they need to succeed, the program is helping to create a more diverse and inclusive STEM community.
To learn more about the STEM Next Flight Crew and how to apply, please visit their website: https://STEM Next.org/flight-crew/.
The STEM Next Flight Crew is a unique opportunity for young people to make a difference in the world of STEM. By providing them with training, mentorship, and a supportive community, the program is helping to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. If you’re a passionate young STEM enthusiast, we encourage you to apply for the 2025 Flight Crew and join us in making a difference.
Remember, the deadline for applications is March 12, 2025.
FAQS
Who is eligible to apply for the Flight Crew?
To be eligible for the Flight Crew, youth applicants must meet these requirements:
- Youth must be 13-18 years old at the time of application submission
- Youth must reside in the United States.
- Youth must be a participant or have participated in an out-of-school program, club, or other extracurricular activity focused on STEM.
- Youth must be willing to share their STEM stories publicly.
If selected, will the Flight Crew member be required to share their voice on social media?
Flight Crew members should champion afterschool STEM experiences to inspire other young people. While sharing on their own social media accounts is not a requirement, members are encouraged to spread the word about their experiences to their own peer networks. Members will also likely be asked to contribute video content, quotes or photos to be used on STEM Next’s social media channels.
If selected, what events will the Flight Crew member be required to attend?
Flight Crew members are encouraged to join us at our in-person event to meet the rest of the cohort in the summer, but attendance is not mandatory. Ability to attend the in-person event will also not influence whether a youth is accepted to the Flight Crew or not.
When are Flight Crew Zoom calls typically held? What happens if a Flight Crew member has a conflict and is unable to attend?
Flight Crew Zoom calls are held on a monthly basis, typically in the later evening to accommodate for a variety of time zones. If a Flight Crew member is unable to attend a call, a recording and call recap will be sent out afterwards via email.
How are Flight Crew members selected? Can a youth reapply if they have not been accepted in previous years?
Applicants are assessed based on their ability to speak about their own experiences, potential for growth as a STEM advocate and in relation to other applicants in a student’s state and across the country.
Youth who have applied in previous years but were not accepted are welcome to reapply for this year’s Flight Crew.
What role do parents/guardians and afterschool program staff have in Flight Crew programming?
Parents/guardians and program staff are critical supporters and champions of youth in their STEM journey. Parents/guardians and program staff do not participate directly in Flight Crew programming, meaning they do not attend monthly Zoom meetings and do not complete any projects. However, for in-person events, chaperones may be required to accompany minors.
Parents/guardians will be requested to sign off on certain paperwork, such as in-person participant permission and media releases if their Flight Crew youth is under the age of 18.
Is the time requirement just the one-hour monthly meeting applicants need to attend?
Flight Crew members are expected to attend one, 1-hour virtual training and one 30-minute small group check-in per month. Additional opportunities will be presented to the cohort as opt-in experiences and are not required.
Do applicants need to submit anecdotes or details about their out-of-school-time STEM promotion work?
Young people applying to the Flight Crew should be comfortable talking about their experiences with out-of-school-time STEM. Youth do not currently need to be doing advocacy or promotional work in their communities at the time of application.
Do applicants need to be participating in an ongoing/current afterschool STEM activity or can past experiences count?
Applicants should have previous experience or currently be enrolled in an out-of-school STEM program or activity.
Do applicants need to do public speaking or advocacy work? If so, how much and what types?
Flight Crew members are champions for out-of-school STEM in their communities. Applicants do not need to currently be participating in public speaking or advocacy work but, as part of their Flight Crew programming will receive training and access to opportunities to grow these skills. All additional opportunities outside of training and small group check-ins are optional but highly encouraged.
How much time or active involvement will these parts take and are they required or optional: “leadership development opportunities, public speaking experience, resume and interview coaching, access to scholarships and internships and mentor connections”
All opportunities outside of monthly training and check-ins are optional but highly encouraged. These opportunities vary in time commitment but usually do not exceed an hour a month throughout the program.