Find your AEOP Pathway
Camp Invention®
A confidence-boosting STEM summer camp where kids build creative inventions and lasting friendships.
- Summer program
- Rising grades K-6
- FREE with AEOP scholarships
- Locations across the country
Junior Solar Sprint (JSS)
A competition where students design, build and race solar-powered cars using hands-on engineering skills and principles of science and math.
- School year competition
- Grades 5-8
- FREE of cost
- Locations across the country
Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS)
A summer STEM enrichment program where students experience real-world, hands-on STEM activities at select U.S. Army Research Labs. GEMS also recruits Teachers and Near-Peer Mentors (college students) who receive a stipend for their assistance.
- Summer program
- Rising grades 5-12
- FREE of cost
- Locations across the country
eCYBERMISSION
A virtual STEM competition where students, in teams of 2-4, choose a problem in their community to investigate with science or solve with engineering, competing for Savings Bond prizes.
- School year competition
- Grades 6-9
- FREE of cost
- Virtual program; open to all 50 states, U.S. territories and DoDEA schools worldwide
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)
A DoD-sponsored STEM competition where students submit original research to their regional symposium and compete individually to win scholarships and a chance to advance and compete at the National JSHS.
- School year competition
- Grades 9-12
- FREE of cost
- All 50 states, U.S. territories and DoDEA schools in Europe and the Pacific
Unite
A summer STEM enrichment program held on university campuses where students will learn about STEM careers, collaborate and solve problems as a team, and participate in STEM-related, hands-on and project-based activities.
- Summer program
- Rising grades 9-12
- FREE of cost
- Locations across the country
AEOP Internships
A paid, hands-on research opportunity with real-world STEM experiences alongside renowned scientists and engineers in labs throughout the country.
- Summer and year-round opportunities
- High school and undergraduate students
- Stipended opportunity
- Locations across the country
AEOP Fellowships
A paid, professional research opportunity at U.S. Army Research Labs and Centers.
- Year-round opportunities
- Graduate students, PhD candidates, recent master’s graduate, or postdoctoral students
- Locations across the country
Explore Program Types
STEM Enrichment Activities
STEM Enrichment activities spark student interest in STEM from the earliest grades through high school. They also provide experiential learning opportunities for educators. Our programs are great for students and teachers from all backgrounds and interests, and are designed to complement classroom learning and teaching by providing exciting, engaging, hands-on experiences. EXPLORE
Competitions
STEM Competitions are designed to expose students to scientific research methods and engineering principles in an interactive, hands-on way, and enables them to compete for recognition, scholarships and awards. EXPLORE
Internships & Fellowships
AEOP Internships and Fellowships help you gain the skills and experience you need today to prepare for the STEM careers of tomorrow. As an intern or fellow, you will conduct cutting-edge research in a state-of-the-art facility alongside a professional STEM mentor. EXPLORE
Scholarships & Grants
The Department of Defense provides a variety of opportunities that enable students to pursue STEM education through fellowships, grants and tuition-for-service programs. EXPLORE
23,483
Youth participants in 2020
5,066
Adult participants in 2020
90%
Of participants agreed that AEOP contributed to their STEM confidence and interest
Meet Our Students
AEOP alumni are doing amazing things. Hear what our alumni learned and what they’re up to now.
Harrish Ganesh
Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS)
Grade: 10th Grade
Obioma Chukwu
Research Experiences for Stem Educators and Teaches, Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), eCybermission
Nicole Schnabel
Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP)
Grade: Undergraduate Student
Are you an AEOP alumni?
Latest Blog Posts
July 18, 2024
Kristen Wilcox’s Path from English to Science
Originally from California, Kristen Wilcox graduated from San Francisco State University with a major in English Education. However, life had different plans for her. After relocating to North Carolina and eventually settling in Cookeville, Tennessee, Kristen found her true calling in teaching science. Read Kristen’s story and discover how her journey highlights the power and […]
July 17, 2024
Celebrating the Winners of the 22nd National Judging & Educational Event
Congratulations to this year’s winners of AEOP’s eCYBERMISSION! More than 1,700 teams participated in this year’s competition, and only 20 advanced to the National Judging & Educational Event as National Finalists. During this week-long event, 77 National Finalists and STEM-In-Action Grant recipients in grades six to nine from across the country gathered in Chantilly, Virginia. […]
June 13, 2024
The Power of Music and the Brain
By: AEOP Membership Council Member Neha Sharma Do you like music? If so, then you are part of the 93 percent of the US population that likes music. Have you ever wondered how we hear and what happens in our brain that tells us that we like music?
June 13, 2024
Where Theory Meets the Leaderboard
By: AEOP Membership Council Member Iishaan Inabathini My first glance at Kaggle’s data science competitions thrilled me. I could register, compete and win thousands of dollars. Some competitions even invited winners to present at top conferences like NeurIPS. The accessibility hooked me.
June 13, 2024
The Powerful Benefits of Being in Nature
By: AEOP Membership Council Member Julie Yang The beautiful blue sky stretches on and on, like a never ending ocean high above. A breeze brushes against your face, gentle as a whisper. The grass rustles and wildflowers dance.
June 13, 2024
By: AEOP Membership Council Member Gordon Chen Sitting on my red folding chair, my eight-year-old self stares at the warm, bright campfire nearby, which contrasts heavily against the cold, dark night surrounding me. The only noises I can hear are the sounds of my breath and the crackling of the flames.