Which specific types and characteristics of OST activities increase students’ interest in STEM? What are the barriers that prevent students from participating in these programs? The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) surveyed over 15,000 college students in introductory college English classes nationally - a mixture of students in STEM and non-STEM majors, to identify factors that have strengthened their interest in STEM. Students were asked about their experiences in a variety of precollege STEM activities, including afterschool clubs, summer camps, competitions, and job-shadowing, as well as opportunities within programs such as interacting with mentors, participating in hands-on activities, and designing and carrying out their own STEM projects.

The Connecting Out-of-School-Time (OST) Activities and Student Interest in STEM webinar was hosted by NGCP and CfA on February 26, 2020. In this webinar recording, find out which types of programs and which attributes of these programs are the most successful in increasing STEM interest and the most common reasons students do not participate in these programs.