Discover the magic of STEM! These “family science nights” for K-12 students and families bring the field to life, so you can imagine a future in STEM for yourself.
Welcome to Noche de Ciencias™
At SHPE, we know early exposure to STEM positively influences the likelihood of a student choosing it for their career path. The Noche de Ciencias™ (NdC) program is designed to introduce the profound possibilities of STEM to high schoolers and their families.
About the Program
Noche de Ciencias events engage and inspire Hispanic youth (and their parents) to pursue STEM degrees and careers and ultimately advance SHPE’s mission and vision. NdC events are delivered by SHPE Professional and University chapters, and can be offered in conjunction with a SHPE Jr. Chapter. Chapters work with a target school to recruit participants, and NdC events may be hosted at the target school or another venue in the community.
NdC programming is aligned with impactful STEM after-school programs that yield STEM specific benefits, such as pursuing STEM education and career paths later in life. NdC objectives are grouped into three (3) main categories:
- increasing awareness of STEM fields and careers;
- increasing participants’ beliefs about their ability to succeed in STEM; and
- increasing participants’ sense of STEM identity.
These objectives are accomplished through interactive STEM activities, networking opportunities, and sharing information on SHPE, as well as, by helping parents understand STEM opportunities through Bilingual Parent Workshops.
Noche de Ciencias™ Events
The Noche de Ciencias™ program is designed to introduce the profound possibilities of STEM to high schoolers and their families. These events are held both virtually to a nationwide audience and in-person for local audiences.
NOTE: On occasion, the event is held during the day, in which case it may be called Día de Ciencias.
Chapter Noche de Ciencias Funding
Many SHPE Chapters fund Noche de Ciencias events through chapter resources or through corporate sponsorship. In addition, SHPE National has funding available to support NdC events through two types of grants.
Additional Resources
Hands-On STEM Activity Ideas
SHPE National is in the process of developing hands-on activity resources to support NdC events. When these resources are available, they will be posted here. There are also many hands-on activity resources available online, including:
Parent Session Resources
SHPE developed and translated two parent workshops that can be adapted for your use. The first workshop is on Understanding College Options and the second workshop is on Financial Aid. These presentations will help you educate parents about college access, funding, STEM career pathways and the fundamentals of STEM. The Noche de Ciencias Manual provides information on how to update the Financial Aid presentation with information about universities and colleges in your area.
- Understanding College Options – English (coming soon)
- Understanding College Options – Spanish (coming soon)
- Financial Aid – English (coming soon)
- Financial Aid – Spanish (coming soon)
“Science is too wonderful for it to be exclusive and too important to leave anyone out.”
– Dr. France A Cordova, Director, National Science Foundation
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events. Check back soon.