Fostering Intergenerational STEM Learning through Making for Innovation in Science Centers and Networks

Science centers are well-positioned to support the communities that surround them through activities and programming that advance community goals. However, little is known about how science centers can act within larger networks to collectively apply innovations to meet community needs. This project will address this gap in practice by developing and researching a network, whose central hub is a science center, and whose purpose is to foster intergenerational STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning in the context of innovation. Specifically, a science center will coordinate with other STEM learning hubs, such as a Boys and Girls Club; family STEM workshops hosted by a youth council; and science programs located within a school. This collective network will promote innovation and STEM learning through making activities that draw from intergenerational expertise and align with community members' needs, such as making activities that address the problem of frequent local power outages through the design of low cost, solar powered handheld lights. Research will explore whether and how the proposed approach fosters intergenerational STEM learning and engagement, among other outcomes. Resulting products will be shared widely with professional networks of science centers and museums and will build national capacity to use STEM-rich making for innovation within informal learning institutions and their associated networks.

In the context of a Research-Practice Partnership, a university and a science center will collaborate to strengthen an existing network with multiple hubs that promote informal STEM learning. A shared goal across the network includes using STEM-rich making for innovation and intergenerational STEM learning. This project builds from decades of innovation in makerspaces--such as design and fabrication, circuitry, desktop manufacturing, biomaking, and emerging technologies--and it combines these technical innovations with social innovations by applying existing makerspace technologies to benefit society. It further combines technical and social innovation by translating STEM learning experiences into tangible products that can improve the lives of community members. Mixed methods research will explore whether and how the approach fosters intergenerational STEM learning and engagement among participants, as well as the factors that support or inhibit this learning and engagement. Research will also explore the challenges and opportunities that emerged from the partnerships built across the network, as well as how the challenges can be addressed to foster more effective networked collaboration with the shared goal of STEM-rich making for innovation. Empirical findings will be shared widely through professional networks of STEM educational researchers and informal educators.