Purpose: In distinguishing the education of adults from the education of children, a gray area lies on where to classify gifted and honors students. The purpose of this study was to determine if the attitudes of students at an honors STEM summer camp paralleled the educational needs of adults, namely self-directed learning.…

This single case study design examines the impact of collaborative inquiry- and design-based learning on elementary students enrolled in the STEM summer camp program. Sixty-five students participated in a two-week summer camp that offered a curriculum centered on (a) coding; (b) STEM arts; (c) 3D printing; and (d) digital storytelling. Data is…

Youth in rural communities have much to gain from afterschool and summer programs by receiving support for their well-being and academic growth they may not have otherwise. American Rescue Plan (ARP) has provided $122 billion in federal pandemic relief for schools and their efforts to address students' learning recovery. A lifeline for schools,…

Women and racially and ethnically minoritized populations are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Out-of-school time programs like summer camps can provide positive science experiences that may increase self-efficacy and awareness of STEM opportunities. Such programs often use the same high-impact…

The matriculation, retention, and graduation of students is a critical and ongoing effort in undergraduate engineering education. Implementing measures is vital in increasing student motivation to continue pursuing engineering and is especially important for individuals from low-income and academically talented students. At the University of…

University-led K-12 outreach programs are designed to expose students to a variety of fields and career choices, but the benefits and outcomes of these have not been well documented. Existing programs often range from short presentations to more extensive residential summer programs. Nationally, there are only a few university-led high school…

Grounded on the tenets of informal learning this research took place in a STEM-focused summer youth program at a state science center. We used a research practice partnership to iteratively improve the triggering and development of minoritized learners' STEM identification and interests. Informed by our previous qualitative research that revealed…

Studies suggest several key aspects of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) integration for teachers, but translating the findings and recommendations of these studies into fruitful changes in teachers' classroom practices remains a challenge. In this study, an assessment of teachers participated in an intensive professional…

We report a program for a summer science academy in chemistry, a section of the Chicago Academic Achievement Program (CAAP) at the University of Chicago, as a gateway to STEM for incoming first-generation students and other underrepresented student groups. Our program emphasized diversity in classrooms, students' psychological safety and a sense…

Background: Museum exhibits encourage exploration with physical materials typically with minimal signage or guidance. Ideally children get interactive support as they explore, but it is not always feasible to have knowledgeable staff regularly present. Technology-based interactive support can provide guidance to help learners achieve scientific…

Research suggests that the likelihood of students entering into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers can be increased by promoting and maintaining students' interest in STEM during middle school years, a critical developmental stage when students' interests begin to solidify. One way to attract students to STEM is…

Little research has been done to examine the impact of informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning on middle school students' career aspirations. Participants included 507 incoming fifth through eighth graders from underrepresented populations in STEM fields, which were recruited at three sites. Data collected…

This article examines how Upward Bound (UB) program leaders promote socioemotional learning (SEL) opportunities to further the social justice of federal policy aims. I examine five program leaders' efforts through a policy implementation framework, focusing on their capabilities. Results show that the program leaders' capabilities--values,…

Many professional STEM jobs go unfilled annually, especially by diverse people. To increase the number of STEM graduates to fill these jobs, bridge programs at college campuses across the country look for innovative ways to support and retain these diverse, underserved populations. Today's Generation Z campus population is not only diverse but…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine any correlations between an increase in knowledge from activities which utilize self-paced learning, inquiry-guided learning, and collaborative learning pedagogical strategies and students' intentions to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and computer science…