STEM Harvest

10/08/2026

😥

We’ve lost an icon. Margaret Hamilton, a computer science pioneer best known for her work at MIT leading development of the flight software for the Apollo missions to the moon, has died at 90. Read about her legacy via MIT News: https://news.mit.edu/2026/margaret-hamilton-computing-pioneer-dies-1007

10/06/2026

🤖 There’s a new face at STEM Harvest... built from the ground up! 🛠️✨

What happens when you combine 3D printing, soldering, coding, and AI? You get our brand-new genius at STEM Harvest! From his 3D-printed parts and hand-soldered circuits to the custom code and AI that bring him to life, he represents the exact hands-on skills local youth and makers learn right here in our lab.

Want to see what he can do? Come meet him in person TOMORROW at Heartland Give Fest!
📍 Where: Hays Recreation Commission -- 1105 Canterbury Dr.
⏰ When: Tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 7 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
💻 Give Online: HeartlandGiveFest.org

Stop by our booth to say hi, see our new friend in action, and learn about all the cool science things we do in the community. Don't forget to ask how your Give Fest donation and the Heartland Community Foundation match pool help keep curiosity, technology, and innovation thriving in our community!

10/01/2026

✨ Give Fest starts today! ✨
Today marks the official start of early-bird online giving for Heartland Give Fest (open October 1–7) and we need your help to keep that spark alive for the kids and families in our community! Through the generosity of donors and grants, STEM Harvest is able to open doors and create opportunities right here at home through:
🚀 Themed Events that turn giant dreams about the future into hands-on reality.
📚 Free Educational Classes so that cost is never a barrier for a curious mind ready to learn.
🔬 The Downtown Hays Science Festival, bringing families and neighbors together to experience the magic of discovery.
🤝 A Dedicated Meeting Space for Numerous STEM groups, giving local builders, thinkers, and clubs a place to belong and collaborate.
💡 And even bigger things coming soon to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers!
When you support STEM Harvest, you aren't just funding a program, you are investing in the confidence, creativity, and our future.

Make Your Impact Go Further Today:
During Heartland Give Fest, your gift will help us earn a share of the Match Pool meaning you give and Heartland matches!
👉 Donate Online Now (Oct. 1–7): https://www.heartlandgivefest.org/nonprofits.cfm?id=2651

📍 Join Us In Person on Giving Day (October 7):
Stop by and see us at the Hays Rec Main Gym (1105 Canterbury Dr., Hays) from 9AM – 6PM, and stick around for the Free Happy Hour featuring snacks and mocktails from 4:30 – 6PM! Thank you for believing in our area youth, our mission, and the future of our community. Let’s help our community thrive together! 💛🌾

Heartland Community Foundation The Chamber in Hays, Kansas Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science

09/28/2026

🎉⚙️ HUGE news for western Kansas! 🎉⚙️

This next summer we are thrilled to announce that STEM Harvest is collaborating with the pioneering team from Make48 for a weeklong summer camp next year! 👀

What is Make48?
If you aren't familiar, Make48 is a fast-paced product design competition where teams are challenged to brainstorm, build, and pitch a brand-new invention. It’s the perfect next step to give interested students the opportunity to create something entirely of their own!

Check out this sizzle reel from a recent Make48 event in Wichita to see the energy in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWfCjssuG5s 🎥

The Camp Details:
📍 Where: STEM Harvest in Hays, KS
👥 Who: Middle and high school students (arranged in teams of 3-4)
🎟️ Capacity: Roughly 30 students total
💰 Cost: 100% FREE!
🗓️ Duration: 4 days (Monday – Thursday)

We Need Your Input! 🗣️
Before we lock things in, we want to find a week that works best for our community. With busy travel schedules and summer breaks, we want to hear from you. (Keep in mind: this is NOT an official sign-up yet, just a way to gather input on dates!)

👉 What week next summer would work best for your family? Let us know in the comments or by choosing your reaction to the corresponding date below.
😆 (laugh) - May 24-27
❤ (love) - June 7-10
😮 (wow) - June 14-17

👉 Know a student who would be a perfect fit? Tag them (or their parents) below so they can keep this on their radar! More details to come after we get a date selected! 💡🚀

See the intensity of a product design competition as teams race aga...

09/24/2026

Tigers doing great things! ❤️🐯

09/23/2026

We are soooo excited to be a part of GiveFest again this year! ❤️ Here is your opportunity to help make a difference in your community for many years to come! Heartland Community Foundation

🧡🥨 Leading up to Give Fest—October 7—we’re spotlighting the organizations participating in this year’s day of giving!

Donations to participating funds will be matched up to 100% from a $110,000 match pool! Online giving opens October 1, with in-person Give Fest celebrations happening in Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties on October 7.

🌟 Today’s spotlight: STEM Harvest! 🔬💻🚀

What happens when you give someone the tools—and the freedom—to explore, experiment and create?

At STEM Harvest, learners of all ages can find out!

Since opening in 2023, STEM Harvest has created a place where area youth and other STEM-minded individuals can explore science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on learning. And one of the best parts? Their events and classes are 100% FREE to attend.

From elementary students to adults, STEM Harvest works to meet learners where they are, regardless of skill or ability. They’ve hosted programs for K-12 and college students, 4-H and Scouting groups, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, blind students and more. This past summer alone, 14 classes were completely filled!

Their work extends beyond classes, too. STEM Harvest provides meeting space for STEM-focused groups, helps lead the annual Downtown Hays Science Festival, supports a community weather radar project, partners with other STEM organizations and has even helped create RISE, a retail incubator where student entrepreneurs can gain real-world experience. 💡

In a rural community, access to state-of-the-art tools, technology, mentors and hands-on learning opportunities isn’t always easy to find. STEM Harvest is working to change that—sparking curiosity today while helping prepare young people for the careers and opportunities of tomorrow.

And your Give Fest gift makes an impact in TWO ways:

🧡 Your donation builds STEM Harvest’s endowed fund, creating permanent support for STEM education and opportunities in our community.

🥨 Heartland’s matching dollars help provide ongoing funding for free classes and events, keeping these experiences accessible to everyone.

Give online beginning October 1, or join us in Ellis County on October 7!

📍 Hays Rec Center Main Gym | 9 AM–6 PM

🍻 Happy Hour (tasty bites & mocktails) | 4:30–6 PM

Visit HeartlandGiveFest.org for more information and a full list of participating organizations.

09/17/2026

There is nothing quite like the energy of a pitch competition, especially when there's a $1,000,000 on the line!!! 💰 🤑

This Friday, founder and partner at TreeTop Security, Dallas Haselhorst will have the honor of speaking at the Wichita Startup Week event happening at Groover Labs. While the amazing Kansas entrepreneurs await the judges' decisions, he’ll be talking about his own journey -- The Unexpected Entrepreneur. This will be a short, candid discussion about many of his own failures and how layoffs at his employer helped shape his career. He'll finish up by talking about how their non-profit, STEM Harvest, is helping to clear the path for future builders too!

09/10/2026

Happening here in Hays at STEM Harvest on October 20th! Pass the word along to anyone you think might be interested!

08/28/2026

⚡ KANSAS EDUCATORS -- THIS ONE’S FOR YOU! ⚡
Are you looking for ways to teach energy concepts that are engaging, hands-on, connected to real-world careers, AND build those “durable skills” that parents and employers are looking for?
Come join us for an Energy in Action Workshop this October!
And did we mention it’s FREE? Like…really FREE. 🙌
⚡ FREE professional development
🚗 Mileage reimbursement
📚 FREE curriculum
🧰 FREE materials and resources
🥪 FREE lunch
🏫 Substitute reimbursement
You’ll spend the day actually DOING activities you can take back to your students, not just sitting and listening. You’ll explore hands-on energy activities, real-world applications, career connections, problem solving, teamwork, and more.
PLUS, you’ll learn how the Kansas Energy Program can continue supporting your classroom with more FREE materials, equipment, activities, and resources!
FREE, people! We really mean it! ⚡💗
📍 October 20th at STEM Harvest in Hays!
The Bricks in Downtown Hays The Chamber in Hays, Kansas Kansas Energy Program Hays Post

👉 Learn more:
https://hayspost.com/posts/a53ed44b-5396-4c4a-867c-7a7b477a1c58

👉 Register here:
https://kansasenergyprogram.org/events
Tag or share this with a Kansas teacher who