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National recognition honors programs supporting all students in STEM fields.

The ���ɱ��� Warner School of Education and Human Development’s Get Real! Science program received the 2025 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Academia magazine. The national award recognizes individual programs and initiatives that encourage and support the recruitment and retention of students of a variety of backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. 

The Warner School’s Get Real! Science program will be featured alongside 57 other award recipients in the June 2025 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.

“The Get Real! Science program empowers young people to see themselves as capable and valued contributors to scientific inquiry and community action,” says April Luehmann, associate professor and director and founder of Get Real! Science. “We are honored that Insight Into Academia has recognized our commitment to fostering a more inclusive future in STEM, where all students — regardless of background — can thrive and lead.”

Now in its 22nd year, the Get Real! Science program empowers all students to explore, pursue, and succeed in STEM careers. Through partnerships with rural and urban communities, Get Real! Science offers initiatives such as the annual Environmental Action Camp and the Science STARS after-school club. To date, Get Real! Science has served over 1,200 students, ages 10-18, from multiple economic backgrounds. These experiences engage youth in authentic, community-centered scientific inquiry, helping to build strong STEM skills, critical thinking, and positive science identities.

In addition to working with youth, Get Real! Science prepares future science teachers to center multiple cultures in STEM education, blending classroom instruction with real-world community-based learning. Since its inception, more than 150 preservice teachers across 21 cohorts have participated in Get Real! Science’s immersive, mentored experiences. These experiences allow future educators to develop relationships with youth and practice ambitious, inclusive teaching practices in non-evaluative environments. As alumni, they continue this mission in schools and communities nationwide, contributing to a growing network dedicated to inclusive STEM education.

The Warner School’s Get Real! Science program is a 15-month graduate teacher preparation program designed to engage students in real science through an inquiry-based approach. Learn more about the Warner School's science teacher preparation programs. 

Nominations for the 2025 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award were solicited in December 2024. For more information, visit .