STEM Websites/Courses

This page is dedicated to compiling links of websites where you can further educate yourself about STEM fields. Some of these will be specific to one field or specific to girls, while others will be general, free STEM education sources. This page will be updated periodically, so check in from time to time to get the latest opportunities.

1. Coursera- Coursera offers thousands of courses online. The courses are made by universities and colleges, even Ivy Leagues like Harvard and Yale! They offer courses in different languages and on all imaginable topics, and of course there's an abundance of STEM classes as well! Usually, you can audit the courses for free, which means that you can access all course materials but you cannot get a certificate. Certificates usually cost around $50, but what's also cool is that you can request financial aid really easily and if it's approved you don't have to pay anything and you still get the certificate! Just keep in mind that you have to request financial aid before you start the course, otherwise you have to start from the beginning. You can also get a 7 day free trial. You can take single courses or you can complete specialization routes, which are usually a few courses with a similar theme. Usually, the courses are a compilation of video lectures, short quizzes, projects and readings.

Science courses in Coursera

2. Udemy- Udemy operates under a similar principle than coursera, however there are a few key differences. Udemy offers more courses and they are usually cheaper, in fact a lot of them are on sale and you can get some for around $10. However, anyone can teach a course on Udemy, while coursera offers only the best. While the courses aren't necessarily screened for quality by Udemy, that isnt to say that all of them have a worse quality. You just have to be more selective before you commit to them. Another difference is that Coursera certificates are perhaps more credible than Udemy ones because the instructors are usually college professors. You can put them on your resume. The structure is also different, while Udemy courses are entirely self-paced and you don't have to pass any tests or check, coursera is set up more like a virtual college class. You will usually have projects or multiple choice tests to complete and there are deadlines.

3. edX- EdX is another MOOC platform (Massive Open Online Courses). It is most similar to coursera, and also offers a lot of courses from accredited universities around the world. It was founded in 2012 by Harvard and MIT. It also operates under the same concept that you can audit courses for free and then pay to get a certificate. The main difference is that usually you can start a course on coursera anytime, while the turnaround periods for new courses to start on EdX are a bit longer. The course offerings are less IT heavy than with other MOOC platforms. About 1/3 of the courses are in the areas of science/ technology, social sciences, and related subjects. Only about 20% of the courses are in IT/ computer science, and about 10% are business-oriented courses. It's completely non-profit.

4. Brilliant- Briliant is another platform where you can enroll in courses, however it's different from MOOC. Brilliant doesn't partner with universities and they make their own content. It operates under a freemium platform, which means you get certain courses for free while others are premium access only. Brilliant helps you see concepts visually and interact with them, and poses questions that get you to think. Their courses show you that math, science, and computer science are – at their core – a way of thinking. The user interface is more interactive and easier. There are a lot more games and check ins and no video lectures of professors talking for 15 minutes, it's mostly reading with a lot of fun illustrations, animations and games to check your knowledge afterwards. There are no deadlines and no projects. I would recommend this if you want something more visual and casual. Brilliant's courses are easier to follow and more fundamental than MOOCs.

5. IXL- You might already be familiar with IXL. It is a math learning platform, which offers an incredibly detailed amount of concepts for everyone from first grade to calculus. It makes you do math exercises, but you can see the explanations of the exercises if you get answers wrong. Unfortunately, there's a limit to the number of exercises you can do per day for free if you don't have a paid account, but it can still be useful if you want to practice a little bit every day.

6. Google Digital Garage Tech and Data- Not a lot of people know this, but Google actually offers some free tech and Data courses. Some of them have only one module, while others have multiple modules. They consist of a series of videos with fun animations and multiple choice tests at the end. Some of them are created by google, while other courses you will see on the Google Garage page will prompt yo to go and take the course with third party companies like coursera, but those are the more complex course. Currently, there are around 58 tech and data courses available, ranging in length from 1 hour to 750 hours it takes to complete them.

7. NCSSM Summer Program- With specialized coursework in areas such as artificial intelligence, biomedical sciences, and engineering, students have the opportunity to engage in real-world, hands-on experiences