Building Inclusive STEM Communities
As we observe National STEM Day on November 8, 2024, let us take a moment to reflect on what STEM really means for our community. Leading STEM Ecosystems and working with these critical networks has taught us that STEM is more than career pathways or academic subjects; it’s those essential habits of mind, critical competencies, and fundamental literacies that will prepare our youth for success in both careers and life.
STEM learning nurtures problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, and creativity—skills that transcend traditional STEM careers. These competencies are important for life in our increasingly complex world: from analyzing data to making informed decisions to using technology in ethical and effective ways.
Since its founding in 2015, National STEM Day—on 11/8, a play on “NOV8” or “innovate”—has swelled from a grassroots movement into a nationally recognized day of celebration. In our observance of this day, three core focus areas rise to the forefront as key to developing inclusive, thriving STEM Ecosystems:
The Power of Community Messaging
Inclusive community messaging is key to building awareness toward a STEM-literate society. When communities come together around STEM learning, skills and competency building, and developing a future-ready society, the results can be transformative.
STEM NOLA
Dr. Calvin Mackie has revolutionized, in effect, how the city of New Orleans does STEM engagement through community-based learning. Their “STEM Fest” and “STEM Saturdays” have reached students and families across urban and rural environments. Partnering with local universities and using community spaces like school gyms, STEM NOLA has made STEM accessible and exciting for thousands of young people.
Afterschool STEM Hub
The Afterschool STEM Hub, is a coalition led by the Afterschool Alliance is uniting national afterschool and summer leaders, members, and policymakers under a common vision: ensuring that afterschool programs are part of the key components needed to complete the STEM learning ecosystem. Their community of practice make it possible to have diverse perspectives, inform priorities and design evidence-based policy solutions, showing how cross-sector partnerships can strengthen STEM learning beyond traditional school hours.
Changing Narratives Around Belonging in STEM
Building a future-ready STEM workforce requires actively reshaping narratives about who belongs in STEM fields. Here are a few initiatives leading the way in this critical work:
Million Girls Moonshot
The initiative offers high-quality STEM experiences to millions of girls around the country through afterschool and summer programs. Their holistic approach includes not just the implementation of culturally relevant content but building engineering mindsets and supporting families as mentors. The results are in: Year 3 (2022-2023) saw a 35% increase in participating girls interested in pursuing STEM careers!
National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP)
NGCP has established a national network that brings together organizations across the country dedicated to informing and motivating girls toward STEM careers. Their FabFems project created a national database of women in STEM who act as role models. One of the success stories is that the Missouri Girls Collaborative Project has worked with the Saint Louis Science Center, hosting a “Girls in STEM” event to reach over 500 girls and their families, with a huge increase in interest among participants in pursuing STEM careers.
Fostering Cross-Sector Collaborations
Strong partnerships across sectors are critical to creating robust STEM ecosystems. Numerous examples showcase the power of this collaboration:
Science Near Me
Science Near Me is an innovative platform launched in 2022 through a collaboration involving the National Science Foundation (NSF), the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice, and SciStarter. It serves as a centralized hub for discovering local and virtual STEM events, projects, and programs, connecting diverse members such as educational institutions, citizen science projects, and community organizations. By making STEM opportunities easily accessible, Science Near Me enhances public engagement and fosters collaboration among various education providers. Additionally, it provides valuable data on engagement trends to help educators and policymakers identify gaps in STEM learning opportunities, ultimately contributing to a more scientifically literate society.
STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice (SLECoP)
And us! The STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice represents the broadest effort toward cross-sector STEM collaboration. Our national initiative has as its objective the linking of diverse members in the collaboration pool, including K-12 schools, afterschool programs, summer programs, and higher education institutions, businesses, community organizations, and families in creating strong STEM learning opportunities for young people. With SLECoP, the diverse sectors collaborate toward helping communities come up with unique solutions for aligning education practices to workforce needs and community assets. This success demonstrates how coordinated, ecosystem-wide approaches can create sustainable, scalable improvements in STEM education and workforce development.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on National STEM Day, our commitment must go beyond celebration to action. Building inclusive STEM communities takes continued effort in:
- Building consistent, inclusive community messaging to reach all populations
- Actively working to change narratives around who belongs in STEM
- Building and enhancing cross-sector partnerships to improve STEM education
Together, we can make sure that STEM will be more than just a set of subjects—it will be a mindset and approach to problem-solving that benefits everyone in our communities. The future of STEM education lies in our ability to collaborate, innovate, and inspire the next generation of diverse STEM leaders.
Let this National STEM Day be the starting point toward building more inclusive and dynamic STEM communities where every person is empowered to contribute, innovate, and thrive.
