We describe Project POEM (Project-Based Learning Opportunities and Exploration of Mentorship), an innovative year-long program that combined project-based learning and mentoring to engage US students with visual impairments (VI) in STEM. Over two summers, students engaged together in hands-on inquiry projects with support from program staff. During the school year, students engaged in project-based activities and interacted with both university STEM students and blind and low vision STEM industry professionals as mentors to learn more about working in STEM overall and as an individual with VI. We describe the findings from a mixed-methods study of 30 students and 33 mentors and share best practices and lessons learned for other programs to engage students with visual impairments in STEM.