As STEMIEFest prepares for its 2026 event, its founding message remains central: every child deserves opportunities to explore STEM.

The STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) Center at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute held its inaugural STEMIEFest in September 2020. Reflecting on that original event, Megan Vinh, PhD, who co-directs STEMIE with Chih-Ing Lim, PhD, said, "The festival was built to share the message that each and every child, including children with disabilities, should be provided opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and that all children can succeed if provided high expectations and given the opportunity with the right supports."

Since that first gathering, STEMIEFest has offered early childhood educators, early childhood special education practitioners, families, and others who work with young children and their families a free, online, interactive way to engage in innovative STEM learning experiences and activities. Attendee feedback has been consistently positive, with participants praising the event’s accessible learning opportunities and relevance to audiences ranging from families to doctoral-level professionals. One early intervention provider noted that the event deepened their understanding of how STEM connects to infants’ and toddlers’ everyday lives and overall development.

STEMIEFest 2026 will take place November 9–10, beginning at noon ET on Monday, November 9, and concluding at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10. This year’s theme, Noticing the Thinking: Building Early STEM Programs that Inspire Lifelong Curiosity, focuses on encouraging adults in children’s lives to observe, interpret, and nurture children’s emerging science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) ideas. Participants can earn .8 CEUs for attending.

That focus on noticing children’s thinking brings STEMIEFest’s founding commitment to inclusion into everyday practice. Children’s questions, discoveries, and play offer opportunities for families and early childhood professionals to nurture curiosity and support every child in exploring, participating, and building on their ideas.

To learn more about the event, including how to register, visit the StemieFest 2026 web page.