Key Takeaways from the Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent Report for the Informal STEM Learning World
Rocket launching with large smoke clouds billowing from the launch pad
The Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent, a report by the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CoSTEM) of the National Science & Technology Council was recently released in November 2024. This interagency report conveys a commitment to advancing STEM education, engagement, and workforce development. This article will outline the key takeaways from the plan for those who work in informal STEM learning (ISE).
Introduction to the Plan
Three cross-cutting principles make up the framework for the plan, summarized as relating to access and opportunity, partnerships and ecosystem development, and transparency and accountability.
Figure showing the five major pillars and three underlying connecting principles of the Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent. Credit: Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) of the National Science & Technology Council, 2024, p. 10
Five pillars make up the approach: (1) STEM Engagement, (2) STEM Teaching and Learning, (3) STEM Workforce, (4) STEM Research and Innovation Capacity, and (5) STEM Environments. Through the lens of informal STEM learning we can see connections in most pillars, but most notably in the first pillar, STEM Engagement.
Figure demonstrating each pillar’s unique focus on advancing different objectives across the continuum of STEM Talent Development. Credit: CoSTEM, 2024, p. 11
ISE Takeaways
The plan makes a direct case for the need for and benefits of ISE, including the importance of lifelong learning and access to quality STEM learning opportunities.
The pillar of STEM Engagement, defined as engaging youth and families, communities, and the public, directly calls on ISE as a means to its ends.
The other pillars relate either to ISE indirectly or to creating a well-rounded STEM-literate population and workforce.
The plan calls for participatory, inclusive, and collaborative approaches to building and researching learning opportunities.
The plan details which agencies are - or will be - focusing on ISE (by way of the STEM Engagement pillar).
STEM Engagement
The plan includes a focus on informal STEM education in the STEM Engagement pillar, as stated in the Strategic Plan Atlas, “engaging youth and families and increasing inspiration in STEM (with a focus on informal STEM)” (Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) of the National Science & Technology Council, 2024, p. 15). Additionally, the report emphasizes the importance of ISE in STEM Engagement directly, stating,
Meaningful informal STEM engagement with learners and their families allows learners to find the researcher or innovator within themselves, opening the gateway to STEM for everyone. The impact of federal agencies’ investments in informal STEM engagement range in timescale from immediate to generational. These investments build a creative and informed population and a well-trained future workforce, which is essential for improving the nation’s living standards, supporting economic prosperity at both the individual and national level, and maintaining global competitiveness in STEM. (p. 16)
The plan further defines effective ISE programs as those that “engage learners intellectually, academically, and emotionally” and “are culturally and socially relevant, curiosity-driven, and help to develop STEM identity” (CoSTEM, 2024, p. 16).
To espouse the benefits of ISE, the plan states that “Informal STEM engagement settings provide opportunities to reinforce classroom instruction, build practical STEM skills, provide insight into local and global issues, cultivate awareness and understanding of complex topics, and encourage the next generation of problem solvers to get involved in creating solutions,”
and that “As such, successful STEM engagement programs will help young minds develop core math and science knowledge and skills in team building, problem solving, analytic reasoning, and risk taking that may be necessary for future success in STEM fields” (CoSTEM, 2024, p.16).
Lifelong Learning, Access to ISE, and Participatory Engagement
This pillar notes lifelong learning, community engagement, increasing participation in STEM, public engagement, and building STEM literacy. All these objectives support lifelong learning, as noted in the report. This lifelong approach to learning is a cornerstone of informal learning and informal STEM learning. To support this lifelong learning, CoSTEM notes the importance of access to quality STEM learning opportunities. Issues of access to STEM learning are a focal point in current ISE efforts which aim to democratize the availability of STEM learning opportunities to all students, regardless of geographic, economic, or other constraints.
The pillar also suggests that communities should be “active contributors in solving community challenges” (CoSTEM, 2024, p. 15) and should work with learning institutions to solve these challenges. This highlights the importance of collaborative and participatory approaches to learning and research that involve communities rather than view them as simply receptive audiences. According to the report, “Communities should always be a part of the STEM ecosystem that helps to connect advances in STEM to societal impacts, ensure relevance for individuals of all ages and backgrounds, and inform decision making for community health and well-being” (p. 17). An emphasis on relationship building with communities and STEM professionals is an important step towards this goal.
Interagency Commitment to ISE
Several government agencies have voiced commitment to STEM Engagement (and therefore ISE). Those listed in the plan include:
AmeriCorps
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
U.S. Department of Education (ED)
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Smithsonian Institution (SI)
A complete list of agency commitments and pillar alignments can be found in Appendix B of the report (Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics of the National Science & Technology Council, 2024, p. 55).
It is clear that ISE continues to be emphasized as a priority by CoSTEM and multiple federal agencies. In accordance, there are several connections to ISE evaluation that can be drawn from this report. Among them:
The report reinforces the importance of - and interagency investment in - ISE.
Quality ISE experiences are defined and provide a baseline standard for ISE programs to evaluate themselves.
The emphasis on ISE in the report may translate to increased investment in ISE. Collecting evidence that your work aligns with the standards set forth in the report will position you well to apply for funding opportunities that may arise in the near future.
CoSTEM plans to review how different agencies evaluate and assess programs, review materials associated with evaluations and assessments, and work on improving practices across agencies. This may lead to improved evaluation practices and policies adopted by government agencies that may also inspire changes in other ISE organizations.
References:
Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) of the National Science & Technology Council. (2024). Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024fedSTEMplan.pdf
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