The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute is pleased to announce that the teacher approved app, My STEM Adventure, is a 2024 EdTech Awards Cool Tool Finalist in the STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) solution category.

Organized by EdTech Digest, the EdTech awards program is the world's largest for recognizing the biggest names―and those who soon will be―in education technology.

My STEM Adventure was created by FPG’s STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) Center, in partnership with Bridge Multimedia and Fable Vision to help young children learn about science, technology, engineering, and math by exploring the world around them together with the adults in their lives.

Children using the app can join app character Leila Diaz as she guides them and their family members or caregivers on an exploration of the world of STEM both indoors and outdoors—all while creating a storybook that details their investigation.

“The idea emerged as we were thinking about developing STEM kits for families to be able to interact with their children in playful STEM learning,” said Chih-Ing Lim, PhD, STEMIE co-director. Megan Vinh, PhD, STEMIE co-director added, “But with STEM kits, scaling up and sustainability did not seem as feasible. So, as we worked with our project officer, she challenged us to be innovative. We decided to take the tenets of our STEM kit idea and develop an app instead.”

The My STEM Adventure app intends not only to support STEM learning, but also to involve parents and practitioners more directly in children’s learning experiences. According to Vinh, the tenets of the STEM kit idea include positive adult-child interactions, which are essential for effective STEM learning, accessible materials that include children with and without disabilities in learning, and showing that STEM learning can be very affordable.

The app also helps harness children's curiosity and their natural potential for STEM.

“Children are curious and have a sense of wonder of the world around them, so they are already scientists to start with,” says Lim. "By noticing their interests ... and then scaffolding their learning by asking questions, using STEM vocabulary, thoughtfully choosing materials, setting up the environment, [we are] helping them take their learning to the next level, all in a playful way.”