Summative Evaluation: Using Audubon’s Guided Nature Experiences to Engage 18-25-Year-Olds with STEM and Climate Science Content

National Audubon Society collaborated with 18- to 25-year-olds to create a curriculum that uses birds and guided nature experiences to engage this age group in STEM fields and climate science. The curriculum was informed by input from over 600 18- to 25-year-olds who filled out surveys, participated in focus groups, co-created, and tested activities.

The curriculum recognizes that participants aspire to be guided in these experiences, that ideal activities are small, social and inclusive, and that they are interested in activities that connect to issues such as climate change and provide opportunities for action.

The activities feature explicit discussion of actions participants can take to help counter the climate challenges that birds, with their plummeting populations, face. The result is a new curriculum explicitly designed and demonstrated to inspire and empower young adults to increase their participation in field science and conservation programs, so that they become not just a visitor to nature, but also connected to and invested in its health.

This project demonstrates that informal STEM learning in parks, nature centers, and urban habitats can significantly increase STEM participation and identity among 18- to 25-year-olds. Co-creation and inclusion practices help broaden engagement with traditionally underrepresented audiences. Guided engagement with the natural world offers a significant opportunity to connect 18- to 25-year-olds with STEM disciplines.