One of the goals of afterschool programming is to empower students by increasing their sense of autonomy and giving them room to chart their own course of discovery. Long before STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) became part of the educational vernacular, afterschool practitioners were using science content and scientific practices as tools for youth empowerment. For that empowerment to happen, the youth themselves have to connect to the content and experience self-actualization. As educators work to increase their skills and knowledge to present the best experience for their students, an unexpected outcome can be an increase in their own self-efficacy and STEM identity.