For High School Students

Timeline and Course Schedule

This page is for the high school program (grades 9-12)

Visit the STEM Academy Ignite page for the middle school program (grades 6-8).

STEM Academy is offered twice per year during our 12-week fall and spring sessions. STEM Academy is not currently offered during the summer.

Important Reminders

  • Review the course timeline.
  • There will be no classes held during the weeks of Thanksgiving break or spring break.
  • STEM Academy will have classes on all other scheduled days, including scheduled school holidays.

The timeline below is for the 2025–2026 calendar year. Next year’s timeline will be posted by July 2026. Dates are subject to change.

During the spring session, courses are offered one day per week from 5 to 6:30 p.m. ET mid-February until the end of the second week of May. Because we may experience inclement weather during the spring session, an individual class may be canceled without being rescheduled. If a class is canceled, we will attempt to reschedule it or offer it online.

Spring 2026

Dates
January 7–10, 2026 Returning Student Registration Period
January 9–20, 2026 New Student Application Period
February 4, 2026 Student/Parent Spring Session Virtual Orientation
February 9, 2026 First Day of STEM Academy Courses
March 30 to April 2, 2026 Spring Break (No Courses)
May 4–7, 2026 STEM Expo (End of Courses)

Courses listed below are tentative for the spring 2026 session only, and are subject to volunteer instructor availability. The finalized course schedule will be updated in August for fall courses and in January for spring courses.

For more information about courses, including descriptions and prerequisites, please view the course catalog.

Spring 2026 Courses

Day Course Format
Monday Intro to Programming: Python Virtual
Tuesday Embedded Programming with Arduino In Person
Tuesday Critical Thinking: Inquiry Skills and Analysis In Person
Tuesday MATLAB 1 Virtual
Wednesday Biomimetics In Person
Wednesday Cybersecurity 2 In Person
Wednesday MATLAB 2 Virtual
Thursday Design Thinking and Planetary Defense In Person
Thursday Unity 1 In Person
Thursday Object-Oriented Programming: Python Virtual

During the fall session, courses are offered one day per week from 5 to 6:30 p.m. ET from the third week of September until the end of the second week of December.

The timeline for fall 2026 will be announced by July 2026. Dates are subject to change.