Addressing ways in which systemic injustices manifest in learning environments has been a significant challenge to the field of informal science learning (ISL). The dominant discourses of equity are framed around calls for inclusion and the extension of rights for quality learning opportunities for all youth. In this paper, we move beyond…

Summer reading for children is a long standing and cherished tradition in public libraries across America, but today's kids need to master new skills and competencies. Today's summer programming needs to move beyond reading to engage children with hands-on activities, thus keeping their brains active even when school's out. Here, a team of…

With ongoing efforts in the United States to further develop the availability of computer science education in the public schools, federal, state, and local educational agencies are increasing efforts to encourage and promote the inclusion of computer science and programming skills in the middle school curriculum (Grover, Pea, & Cooper, 2015).…

Each year, colleges around the nation select a common reading book for their incoming students or, in the case of Olin College of Engineering, for the entire college community. In 2017, the institution selected "Hidden Figures" as a reading meant to provide a common intellectual experience, illustrate the vigor and breadth of the…

A reform movement in the United States has focused on STEM education and 21st century soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. This spotlight on STEM instruction provided an opportunity to explore how K-14 STEM teacher participants perceived a Design Thinking Instructional Problems (DTIP) approach to…

A Near Peer Mentoring Program (NPMP) was developed in which Medical Student Training Program (MSTP) students met weekly with small groups of high school students who were participating in an intensive summer biomedical research immersion program. The goal of the NPMP was to provide and engage the high school students with opportunities to express…

Science and mathematics literacy are fundamental to the basic understanding of food and health and/or the pursuit of science-based careers. In 1999, the FoodMASTER Initiative (FMI) was created to provide an opportunity for youth to experience authentic, real-world health science activities in K-12 learning environments. FMI administrative…

This study investigates how participating in a teacher externship program increases the awareness of how effective communication plays a critical role in an industry-based environment. It also studies the teacher participants' commitment to changing their classroom practices as a result of acquiring this awareness. The program of focus, the…

This paper introduces a novel framework aimed at supporting non-education faculty and facilitators in creating inclusive educational programs and learning opportunities that address the needs, interests, and priorities of underrepresented individuals and communities in the field of STEM. The framework centers on the fundamental concept of…

Language diversity is increasing in the United States. This growth has implications for language preference, cost, quality, and client outcomes in health services settings. However, language diversity among medical and allied health professionals is lacking. Education pipeline programs are a mechanism to prepare bi- and multi-lingual diverse…

In the present day, it is not uncommon for there to be a class full of engineering students with very few women among them. To combat this lack of gender diversity, colleges and universities have employed outreach programs and developed summer engagement opportunities that allow women to explore engineering before they graduate high school. The…

The organisation of a STEM-wide summer undergraduate research internship scheme to ensure equal opportunities for all students is reported. Student engagement in the internship programme is much greater in the Biological, Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences (142 applications in 2016) than in Engineering and Computing (30 applications in 2016). To…

The focus of this study was to explore how select practices and approaches with a self-transcendent orientation delivered in STEM-oriented summer learning programs serving middle-school aged youth were related to both (a) in-the-moment experiences that over time are believed to be related to possible continued engagement and interest in STEM and…

Among the fields that particularly lack images of diverse participants are those of science, technology, engineering, and math, fields captured under the acronym STEM. Often in STEM fields, images and experiences of deaf and hard of hearing children, children of color, and young women are rare or absent altogether, with the result that these…

Background: Large achievement and motivation gaps exist in science between students from higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Middle and high school are an important time to address these disparities, as science motivation typically declines for all students at this time, leading to particularly low science interest and…