We are excited to share the latest blogs, reports, and other news from the Informal STEM Education community! Older items can be found in our archive.
STEAM Equity Conference Recordings
STAR Net
Published May 29th, 2024
The STAR Net STEAM Equity Project project brought together staff from 12 rural libraries and their community collaborators for a collaborative conference, aiming to enhance STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning and career opportunities in rural areas. Recordings and slides from their STEAM Equity Conference event are now available, offering a wealth of knowledge on how to effectively support and inspire STEAM learning in your communities.
Making Connections to and From Out-of-School Experiences
Review of Research in Education
Published May 27th, 2024
This article surfaces examples of the ways educators, programs, and families are making connections to and from out-of-school time (OST) experiences and into other contexts in learnersâ lives, including additional programs, homes, communities, and schools.
Should we stop using the word âstakeholderâ in research?
London School of Economics Impact Blog
Published May 7th, 2024
The word âstakeholderâ stands in for a range of people and practices across many research fields. The authors argue that the colonial connotations and ingrained inequalities of the term, require scholars to rethink its use and take greater care with the way in which words shape attitudes and approaches to research.
NSTC: Best Practices for Reducing Organizational, Cultural, and Institutional Barriers in STEMÂ Research
National Science and Technology Council
Published May 15th, 2024
In response to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Pub.L. 117-167; Sec. 10505), this document provides an overview of the best practices designed to reduce organizational, cultural, and institutional barriers in STEM to optimize organizational climate4 and participation in STEM. The report also conveys the roles and responsibilities of federally funded organizations and federal agencies to support such practices.
Transformative Research Toolkit
Othering and Belonging Institute
Published March 20th, 2024
This transformative research toolkit refers to a wide range of processes where people center their lived experience and visions for social transformation, lead a process that systematically builds on this knowledge through investigation and learning rooted in their own ways of knowing, and take action to influence public narratives, policies, and power dynamics. In a nutshell, transformative research is any research process that positively transforms the people directly involved, the communities they are part of, and the structures shaping their lives.