The Literacy for Engineering Access and Participation Conference (LEAP) would convene researchers and teachers from the engineering education, literacy education, equity and other stakeholder areas to establish a research agenda and gather resources related to the literacy considerations for informal and formal learning settings. The conference participants will learn about engineering and literacy perspectives that impact students' learning with a particular emphasis on multi-lingual students and engaging a more diverse student population in engineering.

There has been a strong push to expand the opportunities for students to experience Computer Science (CS) instruction in schools across the nation. To support the work at the federal, state, local levels and engage others in the effort, there is a need for coordination across these sectors. The current complex landscape does not have a central organization or connection point, thereby leaving many local education agencies (LEAs) unsure of how to proceed.

This Learning and Research Center will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by providing technical support to all ITEST projects, facilitating national dissemination of ITEST project outcomes, and further developing the ITEST research and development community.