Why Early Childhood STEM Week
Discovery, curiosity, and play sit at the heart of early childhood development. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are not separate subjects for young children—they are the natural ways children explore, question, and make sense of their world. Jean Piaget, often called the father of developmental psychology, reminded us that “the goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover.”
Region 9 Head Start Association—and now Head Start WEST—have long championed early childhood STEM. Since 2010, our annual Early Childhood STEM Institute has welcomed more than 4,000 early childhood educators, inspiring curiosity and creativity through keynote presentations, hands-on workshops, curriculum fairs, and meaningful learning experiences.
As we look to expand this impact, we are excited to launch Early Childhood STEM Week, March 23–27, 2026. This new effort is designed to spark joy, deepen learning, and promote purposeful engagement for children, their families, and communities across the WEST.
Throughout the week, we will celebrate the many places where STEM comes alive: All Around You, In the Garden, In the Classroom, In the Family, and In the Future. Each theme invites children, families, and educators to see STEM as an accessible, joyful part of everyday life.
“STEM begins the moment a child asks ‘why?’—and grows every time we pause long enough to wonder with them.”
STEM Week Daily Themes:
| March 23rd STEM all Around You |
March 24th STEM in the Garden | March 25th STEM in the Classroom | March 26th STEM in the Family | March 27th STEM in the Future |
I have been to management workshops, not leadership training. This has totally changed my perspective and encouraged me to propel forward in developing my skills.
I am honored and humbled to be a recipient of the Head Start WEST’s Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship helped me get one step closer to achieving my goal of becoming a Head Start Director.
I took part in The disproportionate impact of COVID 19, and how to provide “real” support for black/brown children and families and I just want to say this was an amazing webinar. I hope we can look forward to further conversation on this topic.
Thank you so much for making events like this! I really enjoyed and learned so much teaching strategies to implement STEM in the classroom.
The HR Network was an excellent opportunity to network and learn the best practices from other HR professionals within Head Start programs. You will be amazed by the level of talent and experience of the participants.
The Summer Camp training was powerful and inspiring! Each presenter was very engaging, it’s hard to even pick a favorite session!
The Leadership Challenge training was very relevant to my work as a Head Start leader! Great facilitation; stayed with the program yet allowed time for individual and small group reflections.
Regular price $12.00
Regular price $39.00
Questions? Contact us at headstartr9@region9hsa.org.
