Application Materials

• An online application form 
• A recommendation form submitted by a teacher, school counselor, school administrator, or community member. The application asks for the contact information for your recommender, so the form can be emailed directly to that individual. The recommender cannot be a family member. 

Program Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen 
• Must currently reside in or attend a public, private, charter, or homeschool (in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at the time of application) in a designated Appalachian County
• Must plan to enroll in a public, private, charter, or homeschool in a designated Appalachian County for the 2025-2026 school year, or reside in such designated Appalachian County 
• Must be willing to follow all program and safety instruction 
• Must be able to participate in all program activities for the full program period, either July 5-11 or July 12-18, 2025 

About the Program

The Appalachian STEM Academy will allow 52 middle school students—26 during each session—to tour research divisions and energy facilities at ORNL, as well as experience other physical and environmental resources of the Tennessee Valley Corridor. In an indoor/outdoor research environment, students will engage in creative problem solving as they meet and interact with internationally recognized scientists.

The students selected will include those who have potential but may need additional encouragement to have their interest piqued to succeed academically—particularly in the STEM fields—and professionally. This is an opportunity for students to see possibilities outside of their region, meet and interact with other students from the 13 Appalachian states, and take the knowledge and experiences back to their fellow students and communities.

The Academy’s research and engineering design curriculum will focus on emerging technologies. Simulation, visualization, and virtual access to laboratory resources and scientists will be used by students to collect data, analyze information, communicate with others, debate findings, and disseminate the results of their research. Students will design hands-on models using the engineering design method, collect and evaluate data, and relate research experiences to the larger issues involved with the uses of these emerging technologies.