During Appleton's Afterschool Labs program, the sounds of construction, negotiation and laughter fill the classroom as students race to complete a Maker Day challenge.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—the subjects called STEM—continue to be a major focal point in education. This urgent focus on STEM came from the growing concern that education was not providing the building blocks necessary for students to achieve successful future employment in an increasingly technical world.

Afterschool programs around the nation have enthusiastically embraced science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Some major afterschool providers, like 4-H and Girls Inc., have long made STEM a priority and in recent years.