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STEM Saturdays Program

Applications for the Fall session will open July 29, 2024. To be notified via email when applications open, complete the STEM Interest Form.

In each class, students learn design thinking and skills needed to complete projects.  

STEAM SYNERGY: KINETICS, MOTION & POWER! (16 WEEKS)   In this longer session you will dive into the world of mechanics and electronics by creating interactive prototypes. From learning the basics of Arduino to constructing simple machines using tools in the Cooper Union’s Makerspace, you will master  the basics of engineering and design. The course will culminate  in a final project in which you will apply these skills to address  a real-world problem of your choosing.  Application due September 12, 2024. 

Students also have the opportunity to register for 4-week intensive labs that are centered around the engineering design process, coding, makerspace and creative technologies, and data visualization/AI. The following 4-week intensives are an opportunity for you to focus on a single skill to add to your STEM toolkit.  

INVENTOR’S LAB: AI & MACHINE LEARNING (4 WEEKS)   If you are curious about cutting-edge technologies, this workshop is for you! You will be introduced to the basics of machine learning (otherwise known as Artificial Intelligence) and question how it really works by building real-world apps.  Application due September 12, 2024.

INVENTOR’S LAB: DATA VISUALIZATION (4 WEEKS)   Storytelling meets engineering in this data visualization workshop. You will learn how to read, clean, and use  data sets to design engaging visuals.  Appliction due October 17, 2024.

INVENTOR’S LAB:  MECHANICS & ELECTRONICS UNLEASHED (4 WEEKS)  If you are hungry to build and tinker, this workshop will help  you bring your ideas to life. From modeling prototypes  with 3D printers to designing circuits to making your creations move, your inner creator will have the opportunity to build  a solid inventor’s toolkit. Application due December 12, 2024.

Classes meet Saturdays, 9:00am-3:00pm. 

Admissions

Students can apply if they: 

  • Live in New York City
  • Are currently in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade
  • Are low or moderate income (See 2023 NYC Area Median Income). Students from households above the NYC Media income will also be considered.

Priority given to students with no prior experience in engineering and no access to engineering at their school.

Cost of program (Financial aid is offered):

  • STEAM Synergy: Kinetics, Motion & Power! $2,880
  • Inventor's Lab: AI & Machine Learning $720
  • Inventor's Lab: Data Visualization $720
  • Inventor's Lab: Mechanics & Electronics Unleashed $720

Based on the 2023 New York Area Median Income, families earning less than $112,961 will receive a full fee waiver including materials and a MetroCard/OMNYcard. All students will receive lunch and snacks.

Women and individuals who identify with groups historically excluded from STEM careers, including Black, Latino/a,  LGBTQ+, and Neurodiverse people, are strongly encouraged to apply.

We will offer rolling admissions, with the first set of Fall applications being due on September 12, 2024. 

Program Information

Students are required to attend all class meetings.  Students that miss more than one class for any reason, including illness, will be moved to the spring or summer program.

The Cooper Union STEM Outreach program is supported through generous donations from the The Pinkerton Foundation, John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, Thornton Tomasetti, The Henry Sterne Trust, and The Cooper Union President's Grant.  

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.