Resource Center: STEM Learning and Research (STELAR) Center - Supporting Research and Development of STEM and ICT Careers

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The STEM Learning and Research (STELAR) Center, as the resource center for the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program, will support current and prospective ITEST community members in the design and research of innovations that ignite interest in and prepare PreK-12 youth for future Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) careers. STELAR will partner with other national organizations to build a community of educational researchers and practitioners whose collective efforts move the nation toward a diverse and technologically literate workforce that is prepared to excel in STEM/ICT careers of the future. Through a series of activities designed to promote collaboration and effective dissemination, STELAR will support ITEST grantees as they advance knowledge and practice in transformation-focused STEM education initiatives. STELAR's highly targeted dissemination plan will bridge the research-to-practice cycle, and it will increase awareness and use of findings from the ITEST program portfolio among formal and informal STEM education professionals, industry and policy stakeholders, and STEM education researchers. Using approaches grounded in social learning theory and the theoretical construct of communities of practice, the STELAR Center will support the goals of the ITEST program by advancing innovative and transformative educational approaches that prepare underrepresented and underserved youth for the STEM/ICT workforce of the future. To build capacity among current and prospective ITEST awardees, STELAR will convene expert knowledge generation groups, host regional and national summits, and foster collaboration among other organizations dedicated to the transformation of STEM education. To provide technical support for current and prospective ITEST awardees, STELAR will launch a proposal development course and sustain national and local communities of practice through informal online gatherings and webinars. To disseminate results and materials related to the ITEST program, STELAR will implement a strategic communications plan to raise awareness and increase use of major, unique ITEST resources and findings. This communications plan will target formal and informal STEM education practitioners, industry and policy stakeholders, the STEM education research community, potential ITEST PIs, and the public. To broaden participation, STELAR will engage individuals and institutions currently underrepresented in the ITEST portfolio. STELAR’s partners and advisors will ensure productive, synergistic collaborations with national communities of STEM practitioners and stakeholders. The external evaluation of STELAR will advance understanding of appropriate and rigorous methods for evaluating resource centers, particularly the unique application of capacity assessment tools, value-creation stories regarding the value of the learning enabled by STELAR, and network analysis assessing the impact of resource centers. This project is funded by the ITEST program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in STEM and ICT careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.