Resources and Opportunities for Educators
You shouldn’t need a large budget or specialized lab to create meaningful STEM experiences for your students.
901STEM connects Memphis- and Mid-South-area educators with practical resources, hands-on learning experiences, grants, and community opportunities that make it easier to bring STEM to life for students.
Free STEM Resources
Practical. Affordable. Ready to Use.
Our free educator resources are designed with real classrooms in mind. Activities use affordable, accessible materials and provide the guidance educators need to create engaging hands-on STEM experiences.
Whether you’re an experienced STEM educator or trying a hands-on activity for the first time, our goal is to make it easier to help students explore, create, collaborate, and solve problems.
Resources may include:
- Ready-to-use STEM lesson plans
- Step-by-step activity and workshop guides
- Materials lists featuring affordable, accessible supplies
- Suggested grade levels and activity times
- Learning objectives and STEM connections
- Tips for adapting activities for different learners
- Extensions and additional challenges
- Connections to STEM careers where appropriate
Featured Resource
Stuffed Animal Tower Challenge
Engineering Design · Grades 2–5 · 60 minutes
Students work in teams to design and build the tallest structure capable of safely supporting a stuffed animal. The activity introduces engineering design, testing, iteration, teamwork, and creative problem-solving using simple classroom materials.
Have an Idea That Could Spark Something New?
Teachers and other educators are encouraged to apply for a $1,000 901STEM Spark Grant on behalf of their school or educational organization.
Grants can support new STEM tools, materials, projects, field trips, workshops, and other learning experiences for students in Memphis and Shelby County.
One grant is awarded each month during the school year. Grant checks are issued directly to the recipient school or organization and cannot be made payable to an individual.
Bring 901STEM to Your Students
901STEM offers free hands-on workshops for schools, youth organizations, and community groups. Workshops are designed to make STEM approachable, engaging, and interactive through building, experimentation, problem-solving, and discovery.
Small groups · Hands-on · On-site · Free thanks to our supporters
Built With Educators, Not Just For Them
Educators know their students and classrooms best. We want 901STEM resources and programs to reflect real needs, practical constraints, and opportunities educators see every day.
As our resource collection grows, we’ll continue learning from educators and developing materials that are practical, relevant, adaptable, and ready to use.
Tell Us What You Need
Is there a STEM topic you’d like help teaching? An activity you wish existed? A resource that’s too expensive for your classroom? Or a barrier keeping your students from participating in a STEM opportunity?
Tell us about it. Your input helps 901STEM understand where resources already exist, where gaps remain, and where we may be able to help.