Reimagining Equity: An Informal STEM Learning Equity Resource Center

多样性、公平性、可获得性、包容性和与归属感相关的变化往往很难在组织中实现。在非正式STEM学习(ISL)的背景下，这导致ISL专业人员和学习者参与STEM环境和体验的机会不平等。要使人们在这些环境中茁壮成长，就必须采取创造性和创新性的办法，解决非正式STEM机构中跨部门边缘化和不公平规范的历史和现实问题，以打破惯例、体制障碍和不平等模式。TERC和底特律动物学会将开发和实施ISL股权资源中心(该中心)。该中心将通过培养一个多部门、多样化的学习社区，设计和开展以证据为基础的研究和实践，包括但不限于以公平为重点的领导、决策、理论、方法、项目选题和设计以及预算管理，促进ISL领域的公平。该中心将通过(A)分享更具包容性、文化相关性和响应性更强的ISE研究和实践；(B)确定对ISL计划有用的可扩展、注重公平的研究成果；以及(C)提高公众对扩大STEM参与的重要性的认识，从而促进ISL和更广泛的STEM学习生态系统的持久变化。该中心的主要利益相关者是ISL专业人员，包括研究人员、从业者和评估者。该中心将维护和扩大数字基础设施，以支持ISL领域的创新和共享。通过共同努力，该中心将提高ISL以股权为重点的研究和实践的知名度和影响，并提高其对整个STEM努力的贡献。该中心还将组织和主办两年一次的Aisl Awardee会议。该中心由推进非正式STEM学习计划资助，该计划旨在：(A)促进对非正式环境中STEM学习设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解；(B)为扩大获得和参与STEM学习体验提供多种途径；(C)推进对非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估；以及(D)让所有年龄段的公众在非正式环境中学习STEM。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging-related change is often difficult to achieve in organizations. In the context of Informal STEM Learning (ISL), this results in inequitable opportunities for both ISL professionals and learners to engage in STEM environments and experiences. For people to thrive in these settings, creative and innovative approaches that address historical and current realities of intersectional marginalization and inequitable norms within informal STEM institutions are necessary to disrupt conventions, institutional barriers, and patterns of inequities. TERC and the Detroit Zoological Society will develop and implement an ISL Equity Resource Center (the Center). The Center will advance equity within the ISL field by cultivating a multi-sector, diverse learning community that designs and conducts evidence-based research and practice, including but not limited to equity-focused leadership, decision-making, theory, methods, project topic selection and design, and budget management. The Center will cultivate lasting change in the ISL and broader STEM learning ecosystem via (a) sharing more inclusive, culturally relevant, and responsive ISE research and practice; (b) identifying scalable, equity-focused research findings useful in ISL programming; and (c) promoting greater public awareness of the importance of broadening participation in STEM. The Center's primary stakeholders are ISL professionals, including researchers, practitioners, and evaluators. The Center will maintain and expand a digital infrastructure to support innovation and sharing across the ISL field. Through its combined efforts, the Center will raise the visibility and impact of ISL equity-focused research and practice and its contributions to the overall STEM endeavor. The Center will also organize and host the biennial AISL Awardee Meeting. The Center is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning program, which seeks to (a) advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments; (b) provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; (c) advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and (d) engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments.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.