STEM Equity in Informal Learning Settings: The Role of Public Libraries

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and programming has become a priority in our nation. In the United States, the STEM pipeline is considered "leaky" as many students disengage from STEM at various points during their lives. In particular, women, Latinos, and African Americans are more likely to disengage from the STEM pipeline. American students are less likely to earn STEM postsecondary and graduate degrees compared to other nations. As careers in STEM fields are expected to increase at a faster rate than other occupations, there is growing concern about the competitive advantage of the U.S. in the global market. The purpose of this report is to examine how informal education and programming, specifically through public libraries, can provide a viable solution toward increasing STEM equity and access for historically underrepresented K-12 students.