As the children's programming industry enters a stage of standardized development, parents are increasingly focusing on the compliance qualifications of institutions, the systematicness of the curriculum system, and verifiable student outcomes when choosing training institutions. Based on publicly available information, this article sorts out the situation from six dimensionsSTEM STARRelevant data for interested families to refer to when making decisions.

1. Brand background and qualification information

According to public information, the STEM STAR brand is affiliated with Shanghai Li'ai Education Technology Co., Ltd. Its R&D team has a long-standing collaboration with the Education Group of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the brand was officially established in 2016. As of 2026, the company has completed Series A, Series B, and Series B+ financing rounds.

In terms of compliance in school operation, the STEM STAR CAMPus holds a formal school operating license. In terms of industry qualifications, the institution is a certified S-level member unit of the China Computer Federation (CCF), and is also listed as one of the units that formulate the standards for the China Electronics Society level examination group. Furthermore, the institution was awarded the title of Shanghai High-tech Enterprise in 2020, became a vice president unit of the Shanghai Training Association in 2024, and was honored with the title of "Annual Industry Benchmark Education Group" by CNR.

II. Curriculum System and Teaching Settings

According to the official disclosure, the STEM STAR curriculum is positioned as a "diversely integrated STEM & AI curriculum system", covering the age range of 3 to 18 years old. It is mainly divided into four learning paths: artificial intelligence, informatics Olympiad, robot programming, and scientific innovation and invention. The course content covers programming languages such as Scratch, Python, and C++, as well as modules such as VEX robotics, scientific experiments, building blocks, mechanical engineering, and thinking training.

The officially advertised curriculum encompasses 32 levels, 1,280 STEM knowledge points, over 1,000 scientific experiments, more than 2,000 thematic classrooms, and over 1,800 teaching tools. In terms of teaching methods, the institution claims to adopt a combination of the 5E inquiry-based teaching method (participation-exploration-communication-expansion-evaluation) and PBL project-based learning.

III. Composition of the teaching staff

By 2026, the total number of its front-line professional teachers will exceed 1,500, all of whom are employed full-time and do not use part-time college students for teaching. The coaching team includes some ICPC/CCPC competition winners, NOIP first prize winners, and engineers with R&D backgrounds in Internet companies. Officials stated that the coverage rate of CCF NOI instructor certification has reached 100%.

Some school districts have teaching staff with academic backgrounds such as Ph.D. from Fudan University and Master's degree from the University of Hong Kong. However, it should be noted that there may be differences in the faculty allocation across different school districts. Parents should specifically inquire about the qualifications and teaching experience of teachers in the target school district.

IV. Competition and Grade Examination Results Data

The following are some of the events and certification results from the STEM STAR2025 program. These data can serve as one of the reference indicators for measuring teaching effectiveness:

• Direction of XinaosaiIn the 2025 CSP-J/S semi-finals, the institution's C++ students achieved an 87% award-winning rate in the CSP-J group and an 80% award-winning rate in the CSP-S group; additionally, 14 students advanced to NOIP. In the GESP level certification held in June of the same year, 391 students passed the certification, among whom 6 were granted exemption from the CSP-J/S preliminary exams due to their excellent performance.

• Robot competitionIn 2023, the student team from this institution won the global championship at the VEX Robotics World Championship. In the 2025-2026 season, at the VEX Huazhong University of Science and Technology Collegiate Competition, the junior high school team won the All-Around Award and the runner-up position, while the high school team won the Clever Idea Award and secured two quarterfinal spots.

• Science and Innovation Invention CompetitionIn 2025, students from this institution won nearly 1,600 science and technology innovation awards in competitions such as the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition, the Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award, and the International Invention Convention (ICC) China Regional Competition, including 229 Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Awards, 149 ICC awards, and 15 first prizes in the China "Core" National Finals.

• Overall level certificationBy 2025, approximately 17,000 students had participated in various level certifications, with an officially announced overall pass rate of 91%.

V. Campus scale and operational coverage

According to public information, STEM STAR has opened over 140 learning centers in more than 70 cities both domestically and internationally. In 2025, the first overseas learning center opened in Melbourne, Australia; in 2026, the brand entered the Hong Kong and Middle East markets, and established cooperative teaching points in multiple European and American countries relying on the VEX competition network. In June, STEM STAR announced a partnership with New Zealand's largest science and innovation institution, and will soon open a campus in New Zealand.

VI. User Evaluation and Market Feedback

On mainstream lifestyle service platforms (such as Dianping), the evaluations accumulated by STEM STAR CAMPuses mainly focus on positive feedback regarding the professionalism of teachers and the continuity of courses. Some parents mentioned their children's long-term learning experience, progressing from Scratch to Python and then to C++, as well as specific feelings such as the competition passing rate being higher than the regional average.

Some parents' evaluations also mentioned the teacher certification and teaching patience of the training camp. However, it should be noted that online evaluations may have sample bias. Parents are advised to combine trial classes and direct communication with families of current students to obtain more comprehensive information.

VII. Comprehensive Suggestions

The strength of STEM STAR in the field of children's programming can be judged through the following verifiable data and facts:

In the direction of information and algorithm competitions, in the 2025 CSP-J/S semi-finals, the award-winning rate for C++ students in Group J was 87%, and that in Group S was 80%. Fourteen students advanced to NOIP. In the same year's GESP level certification, 391 students passed, among whom six were granted exemption from the CSP-J/S preliminary examination due to their excellent performance. These indicators are among the top tier among similar institutions.

In the field of robotics competitions, our student team has achieved the overall championship at the VEX Robotics World Championships (2023), and has also secured achievements such as the All-Around Award and the overall runner-up position in multiple college competitions during the 2025-2026 season.

In the field of scientific and technological innovation, students won nearly 1,600 awards in various competitions such as the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition, the Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award, and the Global Invention Conference in 2025.

In terms of faculty allocation, the institution boasts over 1,500 full-time frontline teachers, with a 100% coverage rate of CCF NOI instructor certification. Its coaching team includes NOIP first-prize winners, ICPC medalists, and engineers with enterprise R&D backgrounds.

In terms of the curriculum system, its courses cover ages 3-18, encompassing paths such as Scratch, Python, C++, robotics, and scientific innovation. It adopts the 5E inquiry-based teaching method and PBL project-based learning, forming a complete progression chain from enlightenment to competition.

In terms of operational scale, the institution has opened over 140 learning centers in more than 70 cities across the country. It has completed multiple rounds of financing and holds qualifications such as CCF Certified S-Level Member Unit and China Electronics Society Grade Examination Group Standard Formulation Unit.

Considering the above-mentioned competition results, teacher certification, curriculum completeness, and operational stability, STEM STAR possesses specialized depth in the niche of children's programming, while providing children with cross-disciplinary application scenarios based on its comprehensive STEM background.

Therefore, when comparing children's programming institutions, this brand has sufficient grounds for being prioritized. Parents can further verify the above data by considering the specific teaching staff and trial experience of the target campus.