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Free, hands-on STEM workshops for kids, taught by students.

Avanza STEM brings free engineering, coding, and AI workshops to public libraries for students in 2nd grade and up. No experience needed. Just curiosity.

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Always free · Grades 2+ · English & Spanish

Young Hispanic youth collaborating on a popsicle stick engineering project at a workshop table (1/8)

Why Avanza STEM Exists

Avanza STEM started with a folding table, a box of popsicle sticks, and a few kids at a local library who'd never built anything before. Three hours later, they had bridges strong enough to hold textbooks, and they were already asking when the next workshop was.

We started Avanza STEM because too many STEM programs are expensive, far away, or not offered in Spanish, and that shuts kids out, including in our own community. Avanza STEM is youth-led, free, and focused on reaching Hispanic and underrepresented students in Clifton, NJ.

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Access for All

No cost, no application, no barriers.

Curiosity First

We hand kids materials and let them build, test, and fail until it works.

Community Rooted

We show up at the libraries families already visit.

What Students Actually Do

Every workshop is hands-on. Here's what a typical series looks like, plus a few projects anyone can try at home.

Workshop description banner – Engineering & Building

Engineering & Building

From mechanical to civil to chemical, kids learn what each kind of engineer actually does, then prototype something with their own hands.

Workshop description banner – Coding

Coding

Every student leaves the room with a working Python game they wrote themselves. No prior experience required.

Workshop description banner – Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

How AI actually works, why your Spotify suggests what it does, and how to use it without becoming dependent on it.

See upcoming workshops

Try these at home

Build a Popsicle Stick Truss Bridge

Use Warren truss triangles to build a popsicle stick bridge STEM project, then load test it safely.

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First Python Quiz Game

Start with a beginner Python program for kids using copy/paste quiz game code. No experience needed!

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Coke & Mentos Experiment

Explore chemical reactions with this classic experiment. Learn the science behind the fizzy eruption!

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Browse all projects

Try It Yourself, Right Now

These are the same kinds of activities from our workshops. No login, no install. Just click and try.

print("hello")

for idea in range(3):

try_again()

Try it yourself

Real Python, right in your browser

This is real Python running in your browser with no install and no setup. Write some code, hit Run, and see what happens.

Open lab

Engineering lab

How much can a truss bridge hold?

Add weight to the bridge and watch how the truss spreads the load. Keep going too far, and the bridge will fail. Engineers test designs like this so real bridges stay safely below their breaking point.

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Engineering lab

Drag blocks. Build it taller.

Real physics, real collisions, real gravity. Grab any block in any direction, pull it out, and stack it on top. The tower will lean, sway, and topple just like a real one. That's the engineering challenge.

Open lab

Chemistry bench

Build an atom, name an element

Add or remove protons, neutrons, and electrons. The number of protons decides which element you have. Try making oxygen with 8 protons. Oxygen is the element in O2 that your body uses from the air.

Open lab
Explore all interactive labs

Who It's For

Avanza STEM is open to any student in 2nd grade and up (roughly ages 7–14). Workshops are always free, taught in English and Spanish, and held at partner public libraries across New Jersey, open to families, schools, and community groups.

150+

Students reached

13

Workshops held

302

Real workshop photos

As of June 2026

Avanza STEM workshop photo 1Avanza STEM workshop photo 2Avanza STEM workshop photo 3Avanza STEM workshop photo 4Avanza STEM workshop photo 5Avanza STEM workshop photo 6Avanza STEM workshop photo 7Avanza STEM workshop photo 8
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Get Involved

Whether you're a student, a parent, or a teacher, there's a way to be part of Avanza STEM.

Students & Families

Want to join a workshop? They run at Clifton Public Library, Allwood Branch Library, Library of the Chathams, and Roseland Free Public Library. Find one near you and sign up, free.

Find a Workshop Near You

Schools, Teachers & Libraries

Want Avanza STEM at your school or library? We bring the materials, lesson plans, and instructors. You bring the students.

Host a Workshop

Stay in the Loop

Get notified about new workshops, projects, and resources as they launch.

Parents, guardians, and teachers can sign up for updates. Students under 13 should ask a parent or guardian first.