Celebrating STEM: An Annual Almanac of Holidays & Special Events
Mark your calendars! These STEM-themed days give you a reason to celebrate at home and in the classroom.
Written by: Andrew B. Raupp / @stemceo
Now more than ever, we need festivities to bring us together. And what could be better than celebrating our favorite subjects: science, technology, engineering and math?
There are plenty of official holidays and events designed to give STEM subjects the attention they deserve. To help you keep track of them all, bookmark this handy reference. Whenever you and the young people in your life need some inspiration, there’s sure to be a STEM day right around the corner to relish in.
Recurring STEM Celebrations
January 28 — National Data Privacy Day: With remote schooling, even the youngest learners now have plenty of passwords to keep track of. This is an excellent time to review basic internet safety.
January 29 — National Puzzle Day: STEM is all about solving problems, and there’s no more fun way to do that than with puzzles.
February 11 — International Day of Women and Girls in Science: The United Nations designated this day to promote equity in science education. It’s the perfect time to reflect on the achievements of women in science and promote STEM learning for girls.
February 21–27 — National Engineers Week: This celebration of engineering dates back to 1951, when the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) announced their intention to educate future engineers. Celebrate by building something in your makerspace!
March 14 — Pi Day: March 14 or 3/14 reminds us all of this famous, endless number. Celebrating with actual pie makes it even more fun. Once you take measurements to calculate its area and divide it into even pieces, it’s time to eat.
March 22 — World Water Day is all about conservation, but any experiment or activity using water is a great way to provide some hands-on learning.
March 25-April 2 — NanoDays: Celebrate nanoscience and all things tiny this week. The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE) has a compendium of activities to spark kids’ interest.
April — Mathematics Awareness Month: April is packed with STEM celebrations, and it all kicks off with math. A fun daily math problem is a great way to bring more numbers into your life.
April 3–11 — National Robotics Week: Kids love robots, and who can blame them? Harness their enthusiasm with some RoboWeek activities for the whole family.
April 22 — Earth Day has been going strong since 10970, when it was first designated to bring attention to pollution. It’s the ideal time to find ways to reduce your carbon footprint and live a greener lifestyle.
April 25 — DNA Day: From the discovery of the double helix to the completion of the Human Genome Project, DNA Day aims to get people talking about the importance of genetics.
April 30 — Arbor Day: Planting a tree on Arbor Day is a great way to make learning about plants a rewarding, hands-on activity. Bonus points for planting a fruit tree you can harvest from later.
May — National Inventors Month: When kids study science in school, it’s easy to forget that so much innovation comes from inventors and entrepreneurs. Check out the National Inventors Hall of Fame to get inspired.
May 7 — Space Day: Take some time to do a little stargazing, learn about planets, or try out some of NASA’s free educational activities this week.
May 19 — National Numeracy Day: This is a British celebration designed to help people overcome a fear of math and get confident in their abilities.
May 26 — National Paper Airplane Day: A paper airplane is a classic engineering project, and it is so easy to do. Whether you dive into the science of aviation or just let your kids experiment freely, this is the perfect excuse to get outside to test your creation.
June 8 — World Ocean Day: The oceans are critical biomes. World Ocean Day provides the opportunity to explore both education and activism.
June 23 — International Women in Engineering Day: Women are significantly underrepresented in engineering, so it’s crucial to provide role models for students.
July 3 — National Play Outside Day: Don’t confine STEM to the lab! There’s so much to be learned outdoors, whether it’s planting a garden, learning the best arc for a basketball shot or observing backyard birds.
August 19 — National Aviation Day: First declared by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939, this holiday is a great excuse to dive into some summertime science activities.
September 12 — National Video Game Day: Video games — and their grown-up cousin, esports — have exploded in popularity, and they’re a great way to hook more reluctant learners on STEM.
October 10 — National Metric Day is on 10/10 to highlight the beautiful logic of the metric system. It’s the ideal time to review the prefixes and the math behind conversions.
October 17–23 — National Chemistry Week: Chemistry is all around us, so celebrate it! Whether you opt for experiments or take a deep dive into the chemistry of everyday products, this is the week to get a big reaction.
November 8 — National STEM Day: Ever wonder why National STEM Day is on November 8? The fascinating day to #NOV8 serves as a great hook to kick off this important celebration.
November 23 — Fibonacci Day: Fibonacci Day recognizes the Fibonacci sequence, a fascinating series of numbers that is found in all sorts of natural patterns and ratios.
December 5–12 — Computer Science Education Week: CSEdWeek is widely celebrated in schools, with many offering Hour of Code events and activities to get kids — and faculty — involved.
Now go out and have some fun! It’s never been easier to choose a day, embrace its theme and try a new learning activity. You can commemorate the days by doing a little or a lot — it’s ultimately up to you.
Andrew B. Raupp is the Founder / Executive Director @stemdotorg. “Democratizing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education through sound policy & practice… Applying STEM to better understand it.”
