About NextGEN STEM
Girls in deep tech, starting at age five.
NextGEN STEM is the K-12 education arm of Parallax Advanced Research and the Ohio Aerospace Institute. We build a connected pathway that takes girls from their first circuit in kindergarten to Ohio's technology workforce.
Our mission
To ignite curiosity, confidence, and a sense of belonging for young girls in STEM, and to build the diverse workforce that will define the future of artificial intelligence, microelectronics, cybersecurity, and the technologies that shape our world.
of U.S. STEM workers are women, up from 8% in 1970.1
is when girls begin to see "brilliance" as a boys' trait and to avoid activities meant for "really smart" kids. That is why our pathway starts at age 5.2
technician, computer science, and engineering jobs could go unfilled across the U.S. economy by 2030.3
- U.S. Census Bureau, "Women Are Nearly Half of U.S. Workforce but Only 27% of STEM Workers," January 2021 (2019 data). census.gov
- Bian, L., Leslie, S.-J., and Cimpian, A. (2017). "Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children's interests." Science, 355(6323), 389-391. Summary from Princeton University
- Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics, "Chipping Away: Assessing and Addressing the Labor Market Gap Facing the U.S. Semiconductor Industry," July 2023. semiconductors.org
Our approach
Four programs. One pipeline.
Most STEM programs reach a student once. Ours are built to connect, so each stage prepares girls for the next and the confidence gap closes before it forms.
Girls of Tomorrow
Grades K-2 | Ages 5-7Storybooks about women in STEM paired with hands-on builds in circuits and microelectronics.
STEM Explorers
Grades 3-5 | Ages 8-11Ten weeks of STEM careers, each told through a female pioneer, plus the engineering design process.
STEM Rebels
Grades 6-8 | Ages 11-14Online deep tech tracks in AI, microelectronics, and cybersecurity, with live mentorship.
STEM Vanguard Institute
Grades 9-12 | Ages 14-18A state-recognized pre-apprenticeship pathway into Ohio's technology workforce.
How we teach
Built on what works for girls.
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Story first, then build
Every session pairs a book about a real woman in STEM with a hands-on challenge. Each girl takes the book home to keep.
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Women in STEM in every room
Trained female facilitators and STEM professionals lead the lessons, so girls see who they can become.
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Real deep tech, sized for every age
Microchips, circuits, sensors, coding, and AI, taught through builds that match each developmental stage.
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Measured every cohort
Pre and post assessments track knowledge, STEM identity, and career goals, and the results shape what we change next.
Proven outcomes | Spring 2026
The model works.
In Spring 2026, 77 girls in grades K-2 at two Ohio schools completed Girls of Tomorrow with matched pre and post assessments. The results showed gains in knowledge, identity, and aspiration at the same time.
Knowledge
of girls answered the microchip concept question correctly, the largest single gain in the evaluation.
Identity
rise in girls agreeing that anyone can be an engineer.
Aspiration
more girls naming engineer, scientist, or inventor as their dream job, from 4 girls to 15.
In their own words: what girls said they want to be
Source: Girls of Tomorrow Spring 2026 pre/post evaluation, matched records from 77 girls. Answers are students' own words, before and after the program.
Who we are
Backed by Ohio's research leaders.
NextGEN STEM is the education arm of an affiliation between two Ohio research institutions. Together they bring decades of work in aerospace, AI, and advanced technology into K-12 classrooms, so the next generation of Ohio's workforce reflects the communities it serves.
Parallax Advanced Research
A nonprofit research institute with expertise in data science, artificial intelligence, autonomy, and human performance.
Ohio Aerospace Institute
Founded in 1989 by NASA Glenn Research Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the State of Ohio, and Ohio's universities to advance aerospace research, education, and workforce development.
Where we work
Schools and community sites across Cuyahoga County and the Dayton region, with priority for communities historically underrepresented in STEM. All materials are free to families.