Project Profile

STEM Learning and Research (STELAR) Center: A Resource Center to Support Research and Development on STEM Careers

Description

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. The primary goals of the Center are to: a) increase the capacity of ITEST project teams and evaluators to effectively synthesize and disseminate project findings; b) increase national awareness and use of ITEST project findings; c) strengthen and expand the ITEST community of practice; d) further engage individuals and institutions currently underrepresented in the ITEST community of practice; and e) strengthen collaborative activities across resource networks to leverage NSF cross-program initiatives. The Center's highly targeted outreach and dissemination activities will promote widespread implementation and examination of new, evidence-based innovations in formal and informal education for youth in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

In partnership with the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, Education Development Center will host the ITEST Learning and Resource Center and work with nationally recognized career development researchers to increase the capacity of ITEST projects to integrate sound career theory, research findings, and best practices into their planned activities. In response to documented national needs in the STEM workforce, the Center will promote increased attention to "middle-level" STEM careers and education pathways to those careers. The Center will also establish a Broadening Participation Advisory Council to assist the Center with outreach and engagement of minority serving organizations and communities. These efforts will be supported and enhanced through a variety of activities intended to strengthen and expand the Center's Innovation Network, including the provision of mini-grants to selected Principal Investigator's to promote dissemination of innovative practices, implementation of a Fellows and mentoring program for ongoing development of expertise among ITEST researchers, development and publication of research syntheses associated with the ITEST guiding questions for research, and production of a variety of Webinars, videos, data briefs, and social media activities to inform the ITEST community of practice and promote active collaboration across active ITEST projects.

WEBSITES

Social Media

PROJECT MEMBERS

Principal Investigator(s)
Co-Principal Investigator(s)
Evaluator(s)
Primary Contact

PROJECT DETAILS

Award Number
1312022, 1614697, 1949200
Project Duration
2013 - 2025
Category
Resource Center
Organization(s)
EDC, Waltham, MA
Goodman Research Group, Cambridge, MA
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Project Work State
AK
AL
AR
AZ
CA
CO
CT
DE
FL
GA
HI
IA
ID
IL
IN
KS
KY
LA
MA
MD
ME
MI
MN
MO
MS
MT
NC
ND
NE
NH
NJ
NM
NV
NY
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
VA
VT
WA
WI
WV
WY
District of Columbia
Target Gradespan(s)
Early Childhood (PK)
Elementary school (K-5)
Middle school (6-8)
High school (9-12)
Geographic Location(s)
Rural
Suburban
Urban
Project Status
Active
Additional Disciplines
Bioscience - general
Computer Science - general
Engineering - general
Environmental Science - general
Mathematics - general
Additional Target Participants
STEM Professionals
Thematic Group
Broadening Participation
CS/CT/Technology Literacy
Data/Big Data
STEM Learning and Learning Environments
STEM Workforce Development