Connections between and across STEM learning settings and experiences can promise to foster meaningful, lifelong STEM learning for youth, yet the detailed and concrete mechanisms for how this learning is connected remains unclear. Little is known about how STEM learning is connected in systematic and sustainable ways.
Making Connections is a set of still-evolving strategies to bridge learning across ages and settings. The recommendations here are based on research conducted through a collaboration between the Connected Learning Lab at University of California Irvine and STEM Next and their regional partners. It was made possible thanks to the generous support of The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Samueli Foundation.
The following strategies are intended to serve as tools for making connections across settings to support STEM transitions and unlock academic, workforce-related, and civic opportunities for all youth, especially girls, youth of color, and youth from low-income families.
Leveraging a wraparound model to address holistic needs to support STEM learning and development
Coordinating between in school and out-of-school settings to cultivate youths’ STEM interests
Giving back to one’s community through STEM / STEAM related activities
A near-peer mentorship model to support transitions to STEM academic and career opportunities through mentorship
Translating youth interests into STEM career and entrepreneurship opportunities
Building relationships with families and youth to get buy-in for pursuing immersive STEM opportunities
STEM repository building through the curation of an online tool to link young people to STEM opportunities
Open portfolios to track STEM learning and progress across settings
This report from the Connected Learning Research Network (CLRN) presents a vision for understanding and revitalizing the ways in which we support learning during these changing times. This report synthesizes a varied set of content and perspectives: empirical research on the changing landscape of new media and learning, design principles, evaluation approaches, learner and case studies oriented to identifying and spreading positive innovations.
This Hive Research Lab toolkit explores the various ways in which out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering – supporting the identity development, social capital building and long-term, interest-driven learning across settings actively connecting program participants to new learning opportunities.
