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Where and How Young People Learn STEM
Pages 4-14

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From page 4...
... To address the statement of task for this study, the report describes the role that out-of-school programs play in deepening and broadening young people's Statement of Task An ad hoc committee will plan and conduct a public workshop to explore crite ria for identifying highly successful practices in the area of STEM education in out-of-school settings, with a focus on designed settings and programs targeted at children and youth, through examination of a select set of examples. The com mittee will determine some initial criteria for nominating successful practices to be considered at the workshop.
From page 5...
... Thinking Systemically About STEM Learning Over the past decade, many policy makers, funders, communities, and educators have come together to align resources to enrich what has been called the STEM learning ecosystem.4 This phrase refers to the dynamic interaction among individual learners, diverse settings where learning occurs, and the community and culture in which they are embedded.5 A STEM learning ecosystem6 includes all of a community's STEM-rich assets, which include • designed settings, such as schools, clubs, museums, and youth programs; • naturalistic settings, such as city parks, waterways, and forests and deserts; • people and networks of people, such as practicing STEM professionals, educators, enthusiasts, hob byists, and business leaders who can serve as inspiration and role models; and • everyday encounters with STEM, such as on the Internet, on television, on the playground, or during conversations with family members and other young people.c In a STEM learning ecosystem, children are at the center of the model because children are influenced directly by other people (e.g., family, friends) and settings (e.g., schools, neighborhoods)
From page 6...
... STEM learning ecosystem model. NOTE: This representation, of the learning ecosystem model is based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development first published in 1977.
From page 7...
... * was launched in 2012 to identify and connect the broad range of out-of-school programs available for youths to help families and youths locate interesting programs and to help programs broker ongoing opportu nities for youths.
From page 8...
... Although the majority of reform efforts that address the three broad goals of STEM education have focused on schools, children of school age spend only 20 percent of their waking hours in schools; the other 80 percent is spent outside of school, including in supervised out-of-school pro grams that meet after school hours, on weekends, and during the summer.11 Strategies that support STEM learning, such as hands-on learning experiences, inquiry-based pedagogy, and connecting STEM to everyday life are widely applied in many out-of-school STEM programs.12 Furthermore, out-of-school STEM programs leverage common structural features of out-of-school settings (e.g., hands-on activities, ungraded or unassessed activities, multiage groupings, fluid uses of time) to spark, sustain, and extend young people's interest, developing understanding, and commitment to STEM.13 These findings suggest that STEM in out-of-school programs can be an important lever for implementing comprehensive and lasting improvements in STEM education.
From page 9...
... The program measures tend to be as diverse, local, and nonstandardized as the programs themselves. This specificity allows local programs to understand the programs' effect, but it simultaneously makes it difficult to aggregate the evidence across programs.
From page 10...
... For example, out-of school programs are well positioned to broaden participation in STEM learning by providing inquiry-based STEM experiences not commonly available in underresourced schools typically located in low-income communities.15 Out-of-school programs are likely to be taught by adults in the local community, thus providing important role models and community connections that can encourage pursuit of STEM learn ing.16 In addition, the absence of high-stakes testing in out-of-school programs can allow for more flexibility and therefore inclusive approaches to STEM learning, which may encourage young people who do not yet see themselves as STEM learners.17 Consistent participation in out-of school programs has also been linked to performance in school and career choice. For example, studies have found that consistent participation in out-of-school programs leads to a narrowing of the achievement gap between young people from low-income and high-income families, better attendance, and more enthusiastic participation in school.18 Retrospective and longitudinal studies of practicing scientists find that their experiences at home, in their community, or in other settings were at least as important as school for fueling their passion for and understanding of science.19 Out-of-school programs that contribute to the long-term, intermediate, and short-term goals of STEM education have three design features in common: they are engaging, responsive, and make connections across learning experiences.
From page 11...
... For example, an increasing number of youth development organizations, such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, and Boys and Girls Clubs embrace STEM as an important strategy for supporting youth in their intellectual, social, and emotional development. Expanded STEM learning opportunities can also be seen in the growth of citizen science programs and Makerspaces,d as well as an increased focus on STEM learning in public institutions, such as science centers, museums, and libraries.e Programs that focus on academic achievement and enrichment such as 21st Century Community Learning Centers also have begun to include STEM learning, with some 15 states currently having made STEM a priority focus.23 There has also been an increase in the number of environmental science, math, and engineering camps; habitat restoration projects; after-school hobbyist clubs on such topics as robotics and astronomy; and multiday expeditions -- such as fossil-hunting trips -- that provide STEM learning opportunities.
From page 12...
... The examples below illustrate those efforts. Creating Statewide Coalitions for STEM Learning Opportunities Supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, over the past 12 years state representatives have been meeting annually to share strategies and undertake collective actions.
From page 13...
... Many science centers reported increased cultural sensitivity among staff and increased integration of the institution with the local community. Increased school attendance, academic aspirations, and interest in STEM careers were found among participating teenagers.
From page 14...
... Policy makers can help address this basic inequity through policies that enrich, support, and expand high-quality STEM out-of-school learning programs.


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