This project is a multiyear study of the impact of an enrichment program that the US National Science Foundation (NSF) managed in the 1990s. The Young Scholars Program (YSP) involved around 18,000 7th–12th grade students and 600 separate grants between 1989 and 1996. The purpose of YSP was to introduce high-achieving middle and secondary school students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields to encourage their entry into those fields and thus increase the size and quality of the nation’s STEM workforce.

The connections with music present a great opportunity for engaging children in the science of sound, and science in general. With this goal, our program has been creating a series of web applications and hands-on activities that allow children to explore, visualize, and play with sound. Our previous work, carried out in the classroom with heavy involvement of our team, showed that the approach was effective for increasing children’s engagement with science.

QuEST develops and researches practices in precollege quantum science and computing instruction that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. The goals include the development of (1) quantum knowledge and quantum computing practices that promote critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills; and (2) student awareness and interest in quantum computing careers and academic pathways.

The YouthAstroNet project is scaling up a program & online learning platform for youth ages 11-14 that features customized access to robotic telescopes, support for learner-driven engagement with scientific and computational analysis tools and practices, and interactions with digital STEM mentors.

This Synthesis project uses meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis to examine the effects of integrating innovative technologies into K-12 STEM education on students’ STEM career-related outcomes, and if and in what ways intervention characteristics and educational settings moderate these effects.

A project designed to identify strategies to recruit, train, and retain Latinas into post-graduate education, STEM majors, and STEM careers.

We are developing an innovative suite of mobile-ready learning resources for informal educators to support youth and the public’s understanding of wifi and radio frequency communications from digital apps to a craft kits, summer radio camps, videos and activity guides in English and Spanish. These learning and teaching resources were informed by user evaluations, co-design and values mapping towards inclusive design.

The STEM Career Exploration Lab (CEL) program is conducting across the United States a series of summer camps for high school students with Blindness / Visual Impairment (B/VI) to stimulate their interest in STEM fields and STEM careers. We use astronomy and assistive technologies, including 3D printing and 3D printed tactile models, to bolster students' STEM skills.