Family engagement in STEAM can come in many forms — STEAM nights, science fairs, family newsletters, etc. But how can you move into a deeper partnership with families in the service of STEAM learning? In this webinar, we’ll hear from practitioners and researchers who are working to deepen engagement with youth and their families to intentionally support equity in and access to STEAM opportunities. You will hear about strategies, examples, and current research, and will have the opportunity to ask questions.
The Families & STEAM: Strengthening Relationships & Building Partnerships webinar was hosted by NGCP on April 6, 2022. In this webinar recording, presenters explore ways to work with families to create equitable and accessible STEAM learning for youth.
Linda Kekelis
Dr. Linda Kekelis is an advisor for STEM Next Opportunity Fund with a lifelong passion for ensuring that all youth, particularly girls and underrepresented youth, have access to opportunities in STEM. Parent engagement has been part of Linda’s life work. As the Founder and former CEO of Techbridge Girls, she made family engagement one of the vital elements of the program. Linda advises STEM organizations on empowering families and shares research and resources with them. Linda also supports girl-serving organizations and advises the National Academy of Engineering’s EngineerGirl. Her expertise in research and practice supports caregivers, educators, and role models. Linda has a master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Southern California and a doctorate in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley. She is enjoying her new role as a grandmother and discovering family engagement in a whole new way.
Delia Meza
Delia Meza, Director of Family Learning and Community Partnerships, oversees the development and implementation of NYSCI’s early childhood and family learning initiatives and partnerships. As well as managing a team that is responsible for incorporating family and community engagement. She has over 20 years of experience in the museum education field developing programs that foster multi-generational learning including Little Makers and Family Science Adventures, a program for families with young children on the autism spectrum. She received the Association of Children’s Museums Diversity in Action Fellowship and is an Association of Science and Technology Centers Diversity and Leadership Development Fellows. She holds an MA in Leadership in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education.
Smirla Ramos Montañez
Smirla Ramos Montañez, PhD, is a bilingual (Spanish/English) and bicultural (Puerto Rican/American) Family STEM Learning Researcher at TERC. She has led and supported a variety of projects, including program and exhibit evaluation as well as STEM education research designed to provide accessible, culturally relevant, and engaging experiences for diverse audiences. Currently, she is the PI of the NSF-funded Diálogos project, which will engage parents as research partners to explore how informal family engineering activities can be leveraged to support the development of executive function skills for preschool-age children from Latinx families.
