STEM 360: Multi-Setting, Multi-Platform STEM Education Engagement Program and Research Study

STEM 360 is a Commonwealth of Virginia-funded project and a partnership between the Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) and area schools that is helping to change who has access to learning over their lifetime by developing, testing, and refining an innovative model for sustainable, scalable capacity-building in urban communities, cultivating STEM interests and capabilities of urban youth through informal/formal STEM learning experiences. After two iterations of this project with successful outcomes for 4th and 5th graders, this project will be entering its third phase. In the first two iterations, differing levels of program enrichment were evaluated with the most enriching level resulting in the most positive outcomes. In phase 3, we built on these findings and in response to changes in schooling due to COVID, focused on making comparisons between the hands-on version of the STEM 360 program, a virtual version of the program, and a hybrid version. Whereas one might assume that an all-in-person delivery of STEM 360 would be the most effective, results suggest that there may be advantages to implementing components of the program virtually. Now in phase 4, we are shifting our focus to 5th and 6th grade and exploring ways to support teachers in their involvement in this program.

Video: Virginia Air & Space Center – STEM 360 Documentary

Project Team: Debbie Siegel Ph.D., John H. Falk Ph.D.,