Enrichment News/Updates (08/02/24)

Visit for updates on after-school Enrichment programs including new program registrations and club news. As always, please check the Enrichment Calendar on the stemk12.org website for the most up-to-date information on event locations, cancellations, and time updates.

Please Consider Donating to STEM’s Enrichment Programs

Donations will enable Enrichment to provide much-needed program scholarships for STEM families in need of financial assistance, update equipment, like Spike Prime kits for our First LEGO League, and offset expenses for our low to no-fee clubs and activities, like Battle of the Books and Craft Club. Click the button below to donate to STEM Enrichment today!

Elementary Chess Club

Provided by PALS Chess Academy 

Mondays or Thursdays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 12 and 15 | Register here!

Chess has been so popular at STEM that last year we had to add a second day! In this club, first-timers, beginners, and recreational players will learn the rules of chess, opening fundamentals, the most common checkmating patterns, and beginner-level tactics. Club time includes a weekly lesson followed by structured playtime with other students with one-on-one encouragement and instruction. The curriculum is written by combined 15-time CO State Chess Champions, National Chess Masters, and brothers Griffin and Sullivan McConnell. 

PALS lessons include engaging storytelling and humor, and beyond just chess skills, focus on building good character, sportsmanship, and self-esteem. Students calculate options and evaluate their consequences, reinforce planning skills, learn from mistakes, overcome obstacles, and practice visualization techniques to think a few steps ahead. Checkmating and tactics lessons vary from quarter to quarter, so there will always be something new for kids to learn! PALS also hosts optional monthly scholastic tournaments students can participate in. 

Advanced Chess

Provided by PALS Chess Academy

Mondays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 12 | Register here!

Because we have so many excellent chess players at STEM, this fall we’re piloting a separate program alongside the regular Monday session for students who have mastered the basics and want to learn more! This club will present a more rigorous and focused curriculum introducing less common and more complex checkmates made through coordinated piece movement. Students will use notation to track the moves of their actual games and learn from analyzing mistakes and successes. Lessons will also emphasize the importance of analyzing various positions in the game from both player’s perspectives, helping students better understand how to prioritize key decisions during the game. Students applying for Advanced Chess should already be competing in tournaments or actively working towards this. Interested students will need to demonstrate strong enough play to be considered for this club. Register for elementary chess on Mondays; then at the first club meeting, students going for Advanced will go to another room and play for assessment.

Advanced Chess will be taught by Sullivan McConnell, son of PALS owner Kevin. Sullivan McConnell is a National Master, Life Master and 7-time Colorado State Chess Champion who started chess coaching when he was 10. Sullivan became a National Master at 12 and at the age of 13, tied as the youngest Colorado State Closed Champion in history.  A rising star with over 2300 ELO, Sullivan is currently the 2nd-highest-rated player in Colorado and is #9 in the US for his age group.

Fencing

Provided by Fencing Academy of Denver

Wednesdays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 14 | Register here! 

En garde! Try out the elegant and exciting Olympic sport of fencing with world-class champion instructors from the Fencing Academy of Denver. The fencing program includes an introduction to the history of fencing, weapon use and safety, target areas, and fencing technique. Fencing is a centuries-old art with a new following that continues to grow. Fencing improves agility, strength, and stamina while building new confidence in oneself. This is a mental and physical sport that teaches competition, respect, and self-discipline in a safe and fun environment.

Theater (Beauty & the Beast)

Provided by Mountain Performing Arts

Wednesdays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 21 | Register here! 

In theater this season, kids will be coached in a medley of songs and scenes from Beauty & the Beast. They’ll learn acting techniques, singing, and dancing, as well as stage movement. They’ll memorize lines, understand scene work, and experience the importance of working as a group for a shared goal. NO experience necessary: excitement and willingness to learn are all you need! This club culminates in a presentation for family and friends at the nearby St. James Church.

Yoga

Provided by Mountain Performing Arts

Thursdays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 22 | Register here!

In this club, students will learn basic yoga poses through a playful, fun class experience with games, props, and music. Classes focus on building self-confidence, strength, and concentration and introducing the practice and benefits of mindfulness. Children are encouraged to express themselves and become more aware of their bodies and movements while learning the basic yoga principles of respect for self and others.

Craft Club

Provided by STEM

Wednesdays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 28

K-1 Registration | 2-3 Registration | 4-5 Registration

Craft Club is run by STEM’s own 1st-grade teacher team and is a perfect hands-on creative outlet for after-school energy! Each week students will take home a unique self-made craft to display or give as a gift. Every week is different and surprising: learn skills like painting, paper crafting, jewelry-making, collage, fun with food, and more! Make friends and enjoy a supportive, creative space. 

LEGO Challenge (Grades 4-5) 

Provided by STEM

Tuesdays 2:30 – 4:00

Starting August 13 | Register here!

An intermediate First LEGO League program, LEGO Challenge challenges students to design and build a robot that can compete in a timed obstacle course at a regional event. Friendly competition is at the heart of Challenge, as teams of students ages 9-15 engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering – building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates exciting missions of a robot game. Teams prepare all season for a regional competition event where their robot will perform for a panel of judges and be scored on various aspects including design, performance, teamwork, and a presentation. Students build skills in teamwork, programming, critical thinking, communication, and imagination.

Coming Soon – Registration Opens Next Week!

Girls Who Code 

Provided by Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code Clubs are spaces where girls can join our sisterhood of supportive peers and use computer science to change the world. Students will read excerpts from our books Learn to Code and Change the World and The Friendship Code, practice skills by completing fun and simple online coding tutorials, and build community through interactive activities with other club members.

Club Rush

High School – August 14

Middle School – August 15 

During their Access period on August 14 or 15, students will attend a club fair and have the opportunity to learn about all the after-school programs STEM offers. 

New Secondary Enrichment Programs – Registration Open Now!

Secondary Fencing

Provided by Fencing Academy of Denver

Wednesdays 2:30 – 3:30

Starting August 14 | Register here!

En garde! Try out the elegant and exciting Olympic sport of fencing with world-class champion instructors from Fencing Academy of Denver. The fencing program includes an introduction to the history of fencing, weapon use and safety, target areas, and fencing technique. Fencing is a centuries old art with a new following that continues to grow. Fencing improves agility, strength, and stamina, while building new confidence in self. This is a mental and physical sport that teaches competition, respect, and self-discipline in a safe and fun environment.

Secondary Chess

Provided by PALS Chess Academy

Mondays 3:30 – 4:30

Starting August 28 | Register here!

Because we have so many excellent chess players at STEM, this fall we’re piloting a program for students who have mastered the basics and want to learn more! This club will present a more rigorous and focused curriculum introducing more complex checkmates made through coordinated piece movement. Students will use notation to track the moves of their actual games and learn from analyzing mistakes and successes. Lessons will also emphasize the importance of analyzing various positions in the game from both player’s perspectives, helping students better understand how to prioritize key decisions during the game.

The longer-term goal for this club will be to develop a skilled, competitive STEM chess team that can compete regionally and eventually nationally. To that end, students applying for Advanced Chess should already be competing in tournaments or actively working towards this. 

Advanced Chess will be taught by Sullivan McConnell, son of PALS owner Kevin. Sullivan McConnell is a National Master, Life Master and 7-time Colorado State Chess Champion who started chess coaching when he was 10. Sullivan became a National Master at 12 and at the age of 13, tied as the youngest Colorado State Closed Champion in history.  A rising star with over 2300 ELO, Sullivan is currently the 2nd-highest rated player in Colorado and is #9 in the US for his age group.