NEOSTEM Now | May 22, 2026
With 400K Children on Childcare Assistance Waitlists, Families Are Left Scrambling
Due to the expiration of pandemic-era funding, rising costs, and tight state budgets, the number of children on state childcare assistance waitlists has spiked dramatically, forcing many low-income families into unstable or unaffordable care arrangements. Learn More
Policy Implications of AI in Education
This episode of the STEMconnector podcast features a panel of experts exploring the regulatory and ethical frameworks necessary to balance AI innovation with privacy, accountability, and the responsible use of technology in learning and workforce environments. Learn More
New legislation authorizes $10 billion a year for afterschool and summer learning
The Afterschool for All Act (HR 8654) was introduced to provide $10 billion in annual federal funding for 10 years to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, aiming to dramatically expand access to quality programs for millions of students by raising the corporate income tax rate by 1%. Learn More
Polaris Career Center celebrates $11 million advanced manufacturing expansion
Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, hosted a grand opening for its new 26,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing expansion, which will house an Engineering Technology, Robotics & Automation program launching this fall. Learn More
Cleveland Clinic Launches Space Health Center to Study Cardiovascular Risks of Spaceflight
The Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute has established a new Space Health Center to research how low-gravity environments impact the cardiovascular system, provide specialized medical care for space travelers, and train future medical professionals in space medicine. Learn More
AI Literacy Experts Call for ‘Curricular Lens’ in K-12 Classrooms
Education experts advise integrating artificial intelligence literacy directly into existing K-12 subject standards and using age-appropriate strategies—such as starting with offline concepts for young learners and addressing parasocial relationships in middle school—to ensure AI supports critical thinking rather than replacing student cognition. Learn More
Events & Resources
Family STEM Exploration Days
This May, we’re bridging the accessibility gap by bringing hands-on STEM activities directly to where students live and play. Join us for Family STEM Exploration Days to spark curiosity and inspire our city’s next generation of innovators. Free activities & food | No registration required.
May 23: Collinwood (12-2PM)
AWS Imagine Grant Program: Technology Support for Nonprofits
This program provides up to $200,000 in funding and $100,000 in AWS credits for nonprofits using cloud technology to scale their impact. While schools are ineligible, the grant is open to EdTechs and nonprofits focused on education equity and workforce development. Deadline 6/5 Learn More
Early-Career Funding: 2026 William T. Grant Scholars Program
The William T. Grant Foundation is accepting applications for its Scholars Program, offering early-career researchers exactly $425,000 over five years to execute career-expanding research and mentoring plans focused on reducing inequality or improving the use of research evidence for youth in the United States. Learn More
NSF Announces August Deadline for 2026 REU Site and Supplement Proposals
The National Science Foundation has set August 19, 2026, as the upcoming proposal deadline for its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which aims to fund intensive, hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students across all NSF-funded disciplines. Learn More
NSF Launches New “TRAILBLAZER” Engineering Impact Award
The U.S. National Science Foundation has introduced the TRAILBLAZER program to support individual investigators pursuing bold, unconventional research directions in national priority areas like AI and quantum engineering, with full proposals due by July 24, 2026. Learn More
How a D.C. Charter School is Leading the AI Frontier
A new FutureEd report examines how Washington Leadership Academy successfully integrated generative AI into its classrooms, offering crucial lessons on balancing innovation with equity, privacy, and academic integrity. Learn More
Empower Your Program: Top Takeaways from the 2026 Summer Planning Bootcamp
The National Summer Learning Association’s 2026 Summer Planning Bootcamp Resource Toolkit equips out-of-school-time providers with an extensive collection of evidence-based frameworks, career-connected STEM curricula, literacy strategies, and funding insights to elevate youth programming. Learn More
About NEOSTEM
NEOSTEM connects over 100 organizations working across education, business, and community sectors to make STEM equitable, exciting, and career-connected.
From in-school support to out-of-school enrichment, we’re building a regional talent pipeline, from kindergarten through career.
Visit www.neostem.org | Contact us at info@neostem.org| Support NEOSTEM