STEM and STEAM Education

FIRST® is an international robotics program for students in grades 2-12. Programs are available at a number of our schools. Please contact your child's school to see if they offer one of these programs:

FIRST® LEGO® League Explore
Designed for young learners in grades 2-4, FIRST LEGO League Explore introduces students to STEM through hands-on, theme-based challenges. Teams of up to six students build and program motorized LEGO® models and create a Show Me Poster to share what they've learned. Meeting weekly from January to April, students present their work at a non-competitive, celebratory Festival that highlights creativity, collaboration, and discovery.

FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge
FIRST LEGO League Challenge engages students in grades 4–8 in real-world STEM challenges. Teams research a themed problem, develop an innovative solution, and design, build, and program an autonomous LEGO® robot to complete missions on a game board. Teams typically meet once a week from August to November and showcase their work at a regional tournament where they are evaluated on their Innovation Project, Robot Design, Core Values, and Robot Game performance.

FIRST® Tech Challenge
Designed for students in grades 7-12, FIRST Tech Challenge offers an in-depth robotics experience where teams design, build, and program robots using metal parts and advanced sensors. Robots compete in head-to-head alliance matches, combining autonomous and driver-controlled elements. The season begins in August with a new challenge each year, and teams meet multiple times per week to prepare for regional and state-level competitions that emphasize engineering, strategy, and teamwork.

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This middle school club is a yearlong STEM program typically offered for one hour each week, giving students the opportunity to engage in hands-on engineering and problem-solving challenges. Example projects include building bridges, designing water-jug boats, launching catapults, and exploring cybersecurity concepts. Students apply their skills by participating in 4–5 districtwide competitions each year, fostering creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

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Kids Who Code Clubs are free programs that create a supportive environment for students in grades 3-12 to explore coding and computer science. Typically offered once a week throughout the school year, clubs focus on building confidence, and skills through hands-on projects in animation, game design, web development, and more. Students also work collaboratively on impact-driven coding challenges that promote creativity and community.

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Computer Science begins as early as kindergarten and provides students with essential skills in problem-solving, logical thinking, digital citizenship, and basic programming. These foundational experiences help students build confidence as creators—not just consumers—of technology.

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Engineering Design is a semester- or year-long elective course that introduces students to the engineering design process through hands-on projects and real-world challenges. Students explore concepts such as structural integrity, prototyping, and iterative problem-solving while designing bridges, towers, and other mechanical systems. The course emphasizes teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking, preparing students for future STEM opportunities both in and out of the classroom.

Each of our middle schools offer this elective course.

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All High School STEM Course offerings fall under 

Colorado Career and Technical Education (CTE)

• All high schools offer courses in the Engineering Technology and Media Arts Career Pathway.
• Some high schools offer other STEM courses in other Career Pathways.

Courses and extracurriculars offered vary by school and year.

Contact your school for more information.

Central High School STEM Program

Mesa View Elementary

New Emerson STEAM School

Pomona STEAM Lab

STEAM @ Tope