Did talk to my father and DS and we are probably on for sending DS to the Maker Fair in the Bay Area this spring. Just have to make sure there aren't any conflicts in his schedule and get him a plane ticket while they are still inexpensive. That is just something fun but it should expose him to some interesting stuff.
Do you have a maker's group in your area? (I'm guessing you must have?) Here it's something you can participate in on a regular basis - although it's also a mix of personalities and interests and educational background.
One thing I'd look at right away are the universities in your area - do any offer programs for high school students interested in STEM? Our local university has a mentoring program that isn't just summer camps, but goes throughout the year. We also took our ds to a college fair last year (even though he's not ready to apply), and we made a contact at our local university who was willing to help guide him through high school course choices even though he might not ever apply at the university - there really are a lot of people out there who want to encourage kids to study STEM at the university level
polarbear
