The Center for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education (CMSEE) is launching the STEM Incubator — Student-Led Programming project an ongoing competition that invites NSHE students to design, pitch, and teach their own K-8 STEM course. If you have an idea for a class that would light up a room full of curious kids, this is your chance to build it, bring it to life, and get paid to do it.

A different kind of opportunity

The Incubator isn’t a traditional job application. Instead of a résumé and a cover letter, you pitch your most innovative course idea. Grab a partner, sketch out a five-day course, and make your case. If your team is selected, you’ll deliver that course to local K-8 students through CMSEE’s community programs and earn a paid UNLV teaching assignment along the way.

It’s a real classroom, real students, and a genuine chance to extend your discipline into the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

Who can apply

Applications come from two-person teams, and every STEM discipline is welcome. To be eligible, both partners must be:

• Current UNLV students in a STEM field — undergraduate or graduate
• Eligible for employment in the United States
• Able to clear a standard background check to work with minors

You can apply as Co-Leads, sharing the design and teaching equally, or as a Lead Instructor and Teaching Assistant.

What you’ll submit

• A five-day syllabus for a course serving 15–20 K-8 participants, built around hands-on, active learning
• An itemized materials budget
• A four-minute pitch video introducing both partners and making the case for your course

What you’ll earn

Selected teams receive a program-based teaching assignment through UNLV, with instructional compensation of up to $2,500 per course. Co-Leads split it evenly ($1,250 each); a Lead and Assistant split it 70/30 ($1,750 and $750). Your course materials are funded separately, so the budget you build goes toward your students — not out of your pocket.

Beyond the contract, you walk away with something harder to put a number on: real teaching experience, a course you designed from the ground up, and a line on your résumé that stands out.

Key dates

Proposals are reviewed three times a year, and each round feeds a specific teaching season. The next deadline is September 15, 2026 (Round 2), for courses taught in the spring.

How to apply

Full guidelines, the scoring rubric, and the application are on the CMSEE STEM Incubator page: [application link].

Have a question? Reach the CMSEE team at cmseestem@unlv.edu.

Find a partner, film your pitch, and show us the course only you could teach!

Date: June 4, 2026

Category: Program Spotlights / Community Outreach

Author: CMSEE Team

This week, the UNLV campus welcomed bright young minds from across the valley for our Summer STEM Program. Hosted by the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education (CMSEE), these cohorts provide a unique environment where advanced educational research directly shapes real-world learning.

Our summer sessions are built around a “research-to-practice” framework. This model serves a dual purpose: it gives local K-8 students access to evidence-based STEM concepts, while providing UNLV students with essential experiential learning opportunities as they lead, mentor, and teach the next generation.

A Look Inside the Summer 2026 Tracks

This summer’s grant-funded lineup spanned multiple age groups, targeting key developmental milestones in STEM literacy:

• Early Coding & Robotics (Grades 1-2): Young learners used Finch robots and Snap! block-based programming to explore geometric shapes and biological life cycles, reinforcing foundational math and science concepts through movement.
• Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals (Grades 3-5): Led by an AWS Top-Certified AI Professional, students utilized tools like Google Teachable Machine and NASA AI platforms to discover how technology helps scientists track wildlife and predict weather patterns.
• The Curious Chem Lab (Grades 6-8): Middle schoolers investigated the everyday chemistry behind physical phenomena, using an exploratory approach to bridge the gap between abstract science and the tangible world around them.

Looking Ahead

Because many of our community programs are made possible through rolling grant funding, our specific course offerings adapt from season to season. While the Summer 2026 cohorts have concluded their sessions, our framework remains a permanent fixture of CMSEE’s mission to strengthen regional K-12 STEM education.

We want to extend a sincere thank you to our participating families, our local school district partners, and the dedicated UNLV student mentors who made this week a success.

Stay Notified for Future Cohorts
Want to ensure you don’t miss the application window for our upcoming Fall and Spring Saturday STEM programs? Join our year-round registry notification list to receive direct updates as soon as new grant funding and registration dates are finalized.

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