Inspiring cadets through STEM

This spring’s British Science Week was the perfect opportunity to celebrate science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in Sea Cadets. Units across the country held some fantastic Junior STEM Weekends and parade night sessions, giving cadets a thirst to discover more about subjects which don’t always generate enthusiasm in conventional classrooms. 

Sea Cadets brings STEM to life with engaging activities that just can’t be replicated in schools, turning complex concepts – such as density, kinetic energy and aerodynamics – into the messy and dynamic fun of making lava lamps, catapults and paper gliders. Our inspirational Junior Instructors deliver over 40 STEM modules in units, with almost a quarter of juniors (836) earning recognition from the British Science Association in 2025 – in the form of a CREST SuperStar Award.

Once bitten by the STEM bug, there are so many opportunities to pursue throughout their senior cadet journey. In the South West, February saw the return of the Royal Navy Cadet Forces Engineering Challenge at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, where Sea Cadets teams competed to create working airframe models with landing gear. Inspired by being surrounded by aviation history and supported by the RNAS Yeovilton STEM Team, more than one cadet came away with a new ambition to “be an aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy!”

Spring was also the time when units from across the UK enjoying visits to the MACH26 STEM careers fair at Birmingham’s NEC, where they met employers and got to grips with latest tech, from drones to programming. Meanwhile, STEM enthusiasts in Northern Area seized the chance to spend a day at the City of Glasgow College’s state-of-the-art Nautical Faculty – trying out the amazing bridge simulator and getting hands-on with some massive marine engines. 

With its proud naval heritage, Sea Cadets has always had marine engineering as a core specialisation. The continued enthusiasm for the subject is epitomised by Leading Cadet Aaron of Llanelli Unit, who won the prestigious Fisgard Association Trophy as 2025’s highest scoring cadet in Advanced Marine Engineering. 

“It felt unbelievable to win, but also like a lot of hard work had paid off,” said Aaron. “I really enjoyed getting hands-on during the courses and turning what I learned in the classroom into something real, by completing a top overhaul. The skills I learnt have laid a strong foundation that I’m going to use to help work towards a degree in engineering at university and a career in the Royal Navy.”

The chance to explore cybersecurity through Sea Cadets really accelerated my passion for STEM!

Leading Cadet Megan, Leicester Unit

While engineering remains a timeless skill, the growing importance of digital technology means that Sea Cadets also has to help cadets thrive in the world of cyberspace. “When I first started at Sea Cadets, I booked on Cyberfirst Adventurers with no expectations and ended up really enjoying it,” said Leading Cadet Megan of Leicester Unit. “I was already interested in STEM subjects, but the chance to explore cybersecurity through Sea Cadets accelerated my passion!

“The Cyberfirst Defenders course was also amazing and solidified my plan to go into a cybersecurity career,” continued Megan. “I got to learn so many new things – including how to hack into other computers!” Megan is now working towards a degree apprenticeship in Digital & Technology Solutions, or a university place to study computer science, but remains keen to attend the hugely in-demand Cyberfirst Advanced course.

First Sea Lord’s Cadet Rebecca of Penarth Unit is also looking forward to the advanced course, which she believes will deepen her understanding of encryption and AI. POC Rebecca looks back on the difficult days of lockdown as a pivotal moment in her STEM journey. “As a junior, I did the virtual junior summer camp, where we did many fun science experiments from home,” she recalls. “I was then really interested to learn about ciphers, online data and computers on Cyber Adventurers; this was a factor behind choosing to study computer science at GCSE, which I really enjoyed.”

Thanks to our amazing volunteers, hundreds more cadets are building confidence through STEM and uncovering career paths they may not otherwise have considered. And our Learning Team is keen to ensure that this adaptable and future-facing mindset isn’t just being sparked by specialist courses, but by the broader Sea Cadets Experience. “Sea Cadets has helped foster my love of science even outside of STEM modules, as we do activities that improve problem solving skills which help me in my academic studies,” confirms Rebecca, who is hoping to study for a degree in chemistry.

However radically STEM may change the world in the coming years, it is clear that Sea Cadets is giving young people the analytical and practical skills to shape their own tomorrows. 

Photos: Sea Cadets