The Mobile Making Program: University Student Facilitation of Afterschool STEM Activities to Inspire the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

This article describes the structure and outcomes of an afterschool Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program called Mobile Making. Bridging formal higher education and informal K-12 education, university students visit school and community sites to facilitate engaging activities that afford youth participants (in grades 4–8) the opportunity to make playful and functional artifacts using STEM knowledge and skills. The program has been successfully running at one university for over a decade, but recently expanded to another three university campuses. This article describes the program’s history, design principles, sample activities, collaborations, and positive implementation outcomes across all four universities to inspire others to create similar programs in their local communities. Recommendations for getting started are provided.