Sparking STEM Engagement: Lessons From a Community Organization on Designing Informal STEM Programming to Broaden Participation
Amanda Case, Viviana Piceno, Nielsen Pereira, Tugce Karatas, Shahnaz Safitri, Signe E. Kastberg, Yiheng Zhou, Yinmayue Tang, Katie Solomon, Jessica Hauser, Asiyah Williamson, Khali Sweeney · Proceedings. · 2025
This paper shares findings from a research-practice partnership that examines how the STEAM Lab embedded in a community-based youth program creates affordances for the STEM engagement of the Black and Latinx youth.Results of interview data provide recommendations for how informal learning environments can be structured to promote interest and participation in STEM spaces for youth who may not self-select into informal STEM programs by strategically advertising STEM learning opportunities, leveraging peer and staff relationships, prioritizing youth voice, and modeling co-learning to create a safe, non-evaluative space.These findings will be shared alongside initial recommendations for how informal learning spaces can encourage participation in STEM opportunities amongst a range of youth.