Building the Cultural Wealth of Parents to Support Science Career Aspirations of Youth

Emerging research suggests that families are key to developing the science interests and career aspirations of youth. In order to increase the diversity and numbers of individuals choosing to pursue STEM careers, it is important to better understand the factors that influence career aspirations. The influence parents have on their children’s career aspirations comes from many factors including their science capital and family science habitus. This study examined the influence of a museum-based family STEM program geared to increase the STEM career aspirations of elementary youth on the parent participants (N = 44). The parent participants completed a pre and post program survey and 11 of the parents participated in intense case studies. Examining the survey and interview results using Community Cultural Wealth Theory found that as parents engaged with their children in STEM investigations during the program, their cultural capital, including science, social, familial, navigational, aspirational, and linguistic capital, and their family science habitus increased. This suggests that a family STEM program may be an effective strategy for building the science career aspirations of youth by supporting and increasing the capital of the parent participants.