Family & Parenting
25+ Places for Kids’ STEM Fun: Greenville, SC
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Are you looking for STEM activities in Greenville, SC for kids? STEM activities are often both extremely fun and educational, and there are so many places in Greenville where kids can participate in STEM learning. Girl Scout Troop 160 contacted us about writing an article about all the STEM activities available for kids in Greenville and nearby. This list is full of their ideas! So, pack up the kids and get ready for STEM fun.
Hi, we’re Girl Scout Troop 160! We love to go rafting, caving, camping, play outdoor games, and, do art together. Through Girl Scouts, we have done lots of STEM (Science Technology Engineering, and Mathematics). We have done activities like attending a Cathy Novinger Center event where we learned about the effect of wildfires on trees, attending an event at Clemson University where we made elephant prosthetics, touring BMW, and creating and programming a VEX robot.
When we found out that girls gain interest in STEM subjects around age 11 but typically lose it around age 15, we became upset. We love STEM activities! So we decided to TAKE ACTION and create a list of STEM opportunities for girls (and boys) of all ages to help kids find out about all of the cool opportunities available to them.
Editor’s Note: Traditionally, STEM refers to activities that incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math. Readers may note the often-used acronym “STEAM” which simply adds art alongside the STEM subjects, making it STEAM.
The Best STEM Event In Greenville, SC!
iMagine Upstate STEAM Fest
The Imagine STEAM Fest is on April 6th, 2024, from 11 am to 5 pm, in Downtown Greenville. It’s a festival where kids can learn about all things STEAM. Run on oobleck, build creatures out of insulation foam, and watch robotics!
This yearly event is one you don’t want to miss. It’s fun for all ages from 0 to 100! Children, especially, will enjoy being introduced to a wide variety of STEAM activities in highly engaging hands-on ways.
Check out the Kidding Around article on iMagine Upstate STEAM Fest.
Places to Visit Locally for STEM Fun: Greenville, SC
Need a family outing this weekend? Kids driving you crazy on a rainy afternoon or summer day? Many of these STEM-heavy locations are perfect for rainy afternoons and weekends.
Duke World of Energy
Duke World of Energy is an interactive exploration of the different ways electrical power is generated. Open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10-4 pm. Duke World of Energy also offers school field trips.
Kidding Around review of Duke World of Energy
Upstate Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum offers 80,000 square feet of fun and learning just for kids. Classes and Afterschool programming for pre-K-5th graders. They also have summer camps!
Kidding Around review of The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Roper Mountain Science Center
Roper Mountain Science Center has two after-school options and fun options for summer days.
Afternoon Explorations occur on Thursdays and Fridays from 1:30-4:30 September 14 – May 10. Explore the Environmental Sustainability Building and the Dinosaur Trial. On Fridays, you can also visit Harrison Hall of Science. Additionally, every third Thursday Afternoon Adventures has special science programming!
Friday Starry Nights is a planetarium show with a special showing for younger kids and a more in-depth one for older teens and parents each Friday.
Finally, during the summer, Roper Mountain hosts Summer Adventure from June to August. You can dig for gems, explore the farm, touch creatures in the marine biology lab, and so much more!
Find our more about the Roper Mountain Science Center
Spartanburg Science Center
The Spartanburg Science Center has programs for K-12 including field trips, nature walks, events, school education programs and STEM events.
Clemson’s Bob Campbell Geology Museum
This is a beautiful museum for all ages that exhibits Dinosourrrr skeletons, gemstones, archeology, and much more.
Clemson Botanical Garden
Clemson Botanical Gardens has over 295 acres of walking paths and beautiful plants and nature-based sculptures. Kids can explore the gardens and learn about the plants through placards on a visit as well as head over to the Bob Campbell Geology Museum for more STEM activities!
Learn more about the SC Botanical Garden at Clemson University
STEM After-school Programs
Looking for fun STEM things for your children to do after school? This is the list for you! From drop-off after-school programs, to robotics clubs offered through schools, to
Girl Scouts Mountains to Midlands Council
Our local Girl Scout Council has really cool STEM events for girls of all ages! Some of the events in the past have included 3D printing, Math in nature, and Space Science Events. Request to join a troop and let the fun begin!
SPARK! Virtual Workshops FREE!
The South Carolina Governors School for Science and Mathematics hosts these SPARK! Virtual workshops for 6-8th graders. Topics are varied. Space is limited to 20 children per workshop.
FIRST LEGO League
With Lego league children of ages 4 to 16 can explore and express their creativity with other children through LEGO robotic challenges. Run like an afterschool club, you can search their site for a team near you!
VEX Robotics
VEX has robotic teams and competitions for 4th to 12th graders. Also, run like an afterschool club or sport, many local schools have teams.
Code Ninjas
Code Ninjas teaches kids how to build their own video games and how to code in after-school programs and camps.
Sylvan Learning Center
Sylvan learning teaches computer programming, animating, and video game coding. There are robotic camps, and they will brainstorm and create robots. There are also engineering camps, and they will design and evaluate stuff.
Upstate Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum offers 80,000 square feet of fun and learning just for kids. Classes and Afterschool programming for pre-K-5th graders. They also have summer camps!
Challenge Island
Challenge Island is a place that has many STEM opportunities for kids like birthday parties, after-school programs, camps, and many more.
Ignite STEAM
Ignite offers STEAM afterschool classes, camps, and open exploration for K-12th graders
Summer STEM Camps
Kidding around Greenville offers an extensive list of area summer camps each year so check the site for more! We chose to highlight a few summer camps with clear STEM focus.
Girl Scout Destinations
Girl Scout Destinations are a fantastic adventure for Cadettes, Senior, and Ambassadors (6-12 grade including just graduated). From Marine Research to Space Camp to Biomedical Engineering there are STEM options of every flavor. Both National and International trips are offered. Girls are able to apply to what interests them the most.
One girl in our troop spent a week on the Connecticut shore studying marine science. She was able to visit two aquariums, kayak, go seining and do conservation work. Her experience was, without a doubt, the best week of her life!
Upstate Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum offers 80,000 square feet of fun and learning just for kids. Classes and Afterschool programming for pre-K-5th graders. They also have summer camps!
Roper Mountain Science Center
Roper mountain teaches kids of all ages about STEAM. Several girls in our troop have attended Summer Camps at Roper and learned 3D Printing, Robotics, Rocketry, and more!
Challenge Island
Challenge Island is a place that has many STEM opportunities for kids like birthday parties, after-school programs, camps, and many more.
BJU Educamp
BJU Educamp is a friendly and fun summer camp for 5-12 grade for kids to develop life skills and consider possible careers including STEM careers.
Ignite STEAM
Ignite offers STEAM afterschool classes, camps, and open exploration for K-12th graders
Clemson Summer Scholars
Clemson Summer Scholars teaches rising 7th to 12th graders about many different subjects (including STEM!), as well as teaching them about college life.
Clemson Science Outreach Center
The Clemson Science Outreach Center provides lab field trips (3-12 grade), summer camps (3-6 grade), space exploration camps (6-12 grade), and homeschool programs (3-12 grade).
Clemson Project WISE
Project WISE is a summer camp for 7th and 8th graders exploring engineering.
Robotics Alliance Project- Nasa
STEM Camps based on Coding, Robotics, and Technology. There are programs for Grades K-12. Most camps are virtual, but they are some options for in-person camps.
PARI Summer Camps
PARI has a beautiful location with lots of history and hands-on exposure to STEM with Space exploration and astronomy. They offer Residental Summer Camps in cypher skills, radio telescopes, and space science for grades 6-12. Located in North Carolina.
Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama
Space Camp offers a summer and family camp program for age groups 7-adult. They have established a program for training young explorers to be astronauts and all about all aspects of STEM and space.
High School STEM Internships
Is your high schooler seriously interested in science or engineering? We found these three internship opportunities that will help fuel their interests and look great on college applications and resumes!
Clemson Summer Program for Research Interns
A summer program for 11th to 12th who are very serious about science research. Students are paired with a research mentor in Bioengineering, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Plant Environmental, and Electrical and Computer Engineering fields.
Michelin Youth Apprenticeship
Students ages 16+ will gain 2000 hours of on-site experience in mechatronics and electronics. You’ll work with a mentor from the school district.
BMW Rising Scholars
High School Seniors participating at a Career and Technical Education Center can apply to experience a one year apprenticeship working at BMW.
Homeschool STEM Opportunities
Homeschoolers in Upstates SC have so many opportunities to explore STEM subjects. We found ongoing classes, one-day programs, and request your own homeschool group field trips all over the upstate!
Clemson Science Outreach Center
The Clemson Science Outreach Center provides lab field trips (3-12 grade), summer camps (3-6 grade), space exploration camps (6-12 grade), and homeschool programs (3-12 grade).
TR Makers Co. Arts Lead Learning
TR Makers Co. focuses on teaching history and science using art. It teaches homeschooled kids from age five to fifteen.
Duke World of Energy
Duke World of Energy is an interactive exploration of the different ways electrical power is generated. Open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10-4pm. Duke World of Energy also offers school field trips. Homeschool groups are welcome to arrange field trips!
Roper Mountain Science Center
Roper mountain teaches kids of all ages about STEAM. Roper Mountain is open to the public for Afternoon Explorations, Summer Adventure, and Friday Starry Nights. Homeschool groups are welcome to arrange field trips.
South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics Bus (FREE!)
GSSM Bus is a free on-site school program for K-5 students. It offers different science courses for each grade level. Request a visit to your school at the link above. Homeschool co-ops are welcome to arrange visits!
Upstate Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum offers 80,000 square feet of fun and learning just for kids. Homeschool classes and Afterschool programming for pre-K-5th graders.
Clemson Biology Merit Exam (FREE!)
Any middle or high school students who have completed or are currently enrolled in a biology or life science course can take this free exam. Awards are given to the top three participants in three categories!
School Field Trip Opportunities
Do you want your school to go on a field trip? We found several opportunities for field trips your school could take locally, but also field trips that come to your school! Some of them are even free!
Fins more field trip options in the Kidding Around Guide to Field Trips.
South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics Bus (FREE!)
GSSM Bus is a free on-site school program for K-5 students. It offers different science courses for each grade level. Request a visit to your school at the link above.
Clemson Biology Merit Exam (FREE!)
Any middle or high school students who have completed or are currently enrolled in a biology or life science course can take this free exam. Awards are given to the top three participants in three categories!
Duke World of Energy
Duke World of Energy is an interactive exploration of the different ways electrical power is generated. Open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10-4pm. Duke World of Energy also offers school field trips. Exhibits best suited for K-8th Grades.
Upstate Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum offers 80,000 square feet of fun and learning just for kids. Classes and Afterschool programming for pre-K-5th graders. They also have summer camps!
STEM Focused Schools
Did you know you could go to a school focused on STEM Subjects? Not all of us did! Some of the schools are local where you can request a change in assignment or apply to a Magnet program. But South Carolina also has two STEM based Governors Schools! We focused on local public schools, but there are also local charter, local private, and virtual STEM schools!
South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics
Located in Hartsville, SC, this tuition-free merit-based boarding school is for 11-12 graders. Students apply and are able to take extensive coursework in science.
South Carolina Governor’s School of Agriculture
Located in McCormick, SC this tuition-free merit-based boarding school is for 11-12 graders interested in agricultural sciences. Students take coursework that includes horticulture, plant & animal systems, agriculture management & technology (drones!), and environmental & natural resources management. This school opened its doors in 2020 so it’s brand new!
Carolina High School and Academy of Engineering and Health Professions
Carolina High School teaches high school kids about engineering and health professions. 9-12 Grade in Greenville County. This is an application-based magnet school
J. L. Mann High School Academy of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
The J.L Mann High school is a STEM-based academy for 9-12 graders who are interested in learning more about STEM. This is an application-based magnet school.
Hughes Academy Middle School of Science and Technology
Hughes Academy is a school for 6th, 7th, and 8th, graders more interested in science and technology. This school offers a magnet program for students who are interested but not zoned for the school district. This is an application-based magnet school.
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School
Fisher Middle prides itself on having the largest selection of middle school-related arts courses in Greenville County many of which are STEM-based. Students can apply for a change in assignment for this school
East North Street Academy of Mathematics and Science K-5
East North Street Academy is an Elementary Magnet School in Greenville County. This school focuses on making real-world connections with math and science. This is an applicated based maget school.
Bonds Career Center
Bonds offers STEM programs in automotive technology, diesel technology, machine tool technology, mechatronics, and welding technology.
Golden Strip Career Center
Golden Strip offers STEM programs in emergency medical technician (EMT), heating ventilation and air conditioning, automotive technology, diesel technology, machine tool technology, and welding technology.
Donaldson Career Center
Donaldson offers STEM programs in construction technology, automotive technology, diesel technology, machine tool technology, and welding technology.
Enoree Career Center
Enoree offers STEM programs in automotive technology, machine tool technology, mechatronics, and welding technology.
Innovation Center
Brand new for the 2023-2024 school year! Located at Roper Mountain, this brand-new Career Center offers programs Emerging Automotive Research, Aerospace Technology, Emerging Cybersecurity/Networking, Clean Energy Technology, and Automation/Robotics. Students in Grades 10-12 are welcome to apply!
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