In 2023, the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and Education Development Center (EDC) co-designed with informal STEM learning practitioners, Advancing the Conversation on Scaling National Informal STEM Programs (NSF #2214449), a conference to examine current frameworks and conceptions of scale in informal STEM learning. The conference was part of a larger effort to collaboratively redefine principles for scale that center on equitable informal STEM learning from the perspective of those working directly with youth.
Following the conference, NGCP, EDC, and conference collaborators co-developed two resources for those interested in equitably scaling informal STEM learning programs and curricula. The resources are for, but not limited to, program developers, implementers, researchers, evaluators, and funders.
Guidelines for Equitably Scaling
Guidelines for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs outlines the contextual issues around scaling informal STEM programs, discusses the limitations of current frameworks for scaling, and provides six guidelines to consider for equitable scaling.
Collaborative Decision-Making Tool for Equitably Scaling
The companion tool, Collaborative Decision-Making Tool for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs, helps practitioners implement the guidelines.
Learn More
Learn more about this work through these resources, including a link to register for an upcoming webinar, blog posts, and the conference summary.
Practitioner Driven Reflections and Emerging Guidelines Webinar Recording
In this recording, the National Girls Collaborative Project, Education Development Center, and practitioners across informal STEM learning spaces share reflections from the field on the challenges and opportunities of engaging in equity-centered scaling. This webinar was held on June 4, 2024.
New Tools for Transforming Equitable Scale in Informal STEM
This blog post previews two new resources for those interested in equitably scaling informal STEM learning programs and curricula.
Conference Summary
The conference summary provides an overview of the planning, implementation, and findings from the Advancing the Conversation on Scaling National Informal STEM Programs conference held in
Scaling Up STEM, Equitably
In this roundtable, EDC and NGCP discuss the opportunities and challenges of scaling with two conference participants.
A Conference Co-Designed for Diverse Perspectives
This blog post outlines the conference activities and some of the findings, including strategies for equitably developing and scaling programs.
Acknowledgements
We would like to sincerely thank the participants of the Advancing the Conversation on Scaling National Informal STEM Programs conference for their expertise, insights, and honesty, which have been instrumental in shaping this work.
These products are a testament to the power of collective effort and shared knowledge. We are grateful to all the contributors for their commitment to challenging the status quo to foster more equitable and inclusive informal STEM learning opportunities for all.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-2214449. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.