Teen Science Cafes and STEM Teens Leadership Council
The Academy has transitioned its Teen Science Cafes to online opportunities for Teens during these unprecedented days. Now at Teen Science Cafe, teens have the opportunity to interact with science professionals in a familiar informal and relaxed setting—the safety and comfort of home. Be on the lookout for our next Teen Science Cafe coming soon! Teen Science Cafe is presented and powered by Junior Academy of Science members who have been selected to serve on the STEM Teens Youth Leadership Council.
Past Cafe Topics have included zombies, bionics, cybersecurity, CRISPR and synthetic biology, the science of emotions, and emergency room medicine. Café programs are offered in the fall, winter, and spring of each academic school year and are FREE to ALL AREA TEENS in grades 6-12 from the full range of academic backgrounds! Check our Events Listing for announcement of upcoming Teen Cafes.
Become a Youth Leader! If you are a student in grades 6-12 with an interest in science, leadership, and collaborative impact, please consider applying for a spot on the STEM Teens Leadership Council. Applications are now closed. Check back soon, when applications re-open late summer/early fall 2022!
Preference is given, but not limited to, teen members of the Junior Academy of Science. To find out more about the Junior Academy of Science for Teens, its exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunities, and for information on how to join, visit the Junior Academy web page. Scholarships are available for those in need.
Consider becoming a member of the Junior Academy of Science!
Generous support for the full array of Academy STEM Teens programming is provided in part by Boeing, the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis, and the Mary Ranken Jordan and Ettie A. Jordan Charitable Foundation.
Check out this great video highlight of our Aerospace Engineering Cafe!
2020 – 2021 Academic Year Cafes!
May 2021
Putting COVID in Its Place—GIS Mapping and Locating Our Own Experiences with the Pandemic’s Social Changes
April 2021
One Health—How the Health of Humans, Animals and Environments are ALL Connected
February 2021
Deep Space AI: Navigating Swarms of Small Satellites Beyond Earth Orbit with Neural Networks
December 2020
Self-Organization in Biology
October 2020
Picture a Scientist—documentary film screening and panel discussion with Women in STEM
2019 – 2020 Academic Year Cafes!
June 2020
Virtual STEAM Nights for Teens: Mathematics
*Virtual STEAM Nights presented in partnership with The Literacy Initiative, founded by Academy STEM Teens Leadership Council member, Agha Haider.
May 2020
Virtual STEAM Nights for Teens: Technology
Virtual STEAM Nights for Teens: Engineering
*Virtual STEAM Nights presented in partnership with The Literacy Initiative, founded by Academy STEM Teens Leadership Council member, Agha Haider.
February 2020
A CRISPR Way to Develop a Winter Crop for the Midwest
November 2019
Combating Cancer—Using Stem Cells to Explore Treatments for Leukemia
October 2019
Monkey Mystery—How Comparative Anatomy Can Bring Fossil Primates to Life
2018 – 2019 Academic Year Cafes!
July 2019
Materials Science Murder Mystery
April 2019
Not Just Pill Counters—A Day in the Life of a Pharmacist
March 2019
There’s More to Mathematics than Algebra—Exploring Some Unsolved Questions in Mathematics
January 2019
And the Beat Goes On, On, On—New Therapeutics in Cardiovascular Research
December 2018
STEM Teens Leadership Council Holiday Party and Meeting (Open to Youth Leaders and Junior Academy of Science members ONLY!)
October 2018
Rising Waters! Forecasting Rising Rivers, Exploring Flood Emergency Technology
2017 – 2018 Academic Year Cafes!
May 2018
Environmental Evolution: An Explanation of Past Polluters and the Path to Greening Our Future
March 2018
Motivation and Decision Making: The Science of Behavior
Cell Biology: How Cells Get in Shape!
February 2018
Seeding the Future: Plant Breeding and Genetic Modification
November 2017
Cybersecurity Teen Science Cafe! Black Hats vs. White Hats: Inside the Mind of a Hacker
October 2017
Celebrate Nuclear Science Week! Teen Science Cafe – Nuclear Engineering: Responsibility for the Future
2016 – 2017 Academic Year Cafes
April 2017
Bacteria Detective! How Scientists Study Bacteria
March 2017
Synthetic Biology: New Techniques that Might Change Human History!
Check out this short YouTube Video on syn bio CRISPR technology from Academy of Science Teen Leader, Emily Stevens!
February 2017
National Engineers Week Dream Big VIP Gateway Youth Leader Cafe: Flint Water Crisis with Dr. Marc Edwards
November 2016
Exploration or Expedition? Studying the Secrets of Caves
September 2016
The Cool Side of the Cosmos
2015 – 2016 Academic Year Cafes
April 2016
Nematodes and Numerics: Worming Your Way Through the Genome
March 2016
Cell Biology: How Cells Get in Shape!
BiodiverseCity St. Louis The Game BetaTest!
November 2015
Demystifying DNA: Exciting New Research with the Molecule of Life
October 2015
Math Explorations: Graphs, Paths, and Unsolved Questions in Mathematics
September 2015
The Science of Emotions
2014 – 2015 Academic Year Cafes
June 2015
DNA Code Breaking: How We Read DNA to Conquer Disease
May 2015
Designing Games for Science
March 2015
Aerospace Engineering Design Challenge
In the News
Read about how our Teen Science Cafe was featured at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference: St. Louisans Among Presenters at National Science Conference in Chicago
Read what our staff and youth leaders have to say about the program: ‘Cafes’ offer teens a quick sip of science.