Who has Access? Mapping Informal STEM Learning in Canada (66230)
Session Chair: Catherine Mooney
Saturday, January 7, 2023 (16:15)
Session: Session 5
Room: 321B
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
The acquisition of computational literacy – not just learning how to code or program, but also understanding what codes and algorithms can do and how they work – are integral parts of our 21st century lives. That said, there remain significant skill barriers for many, and especially for girls, and children from racialized minorities and economically disadvantaged communities. In this paper we explore and seek to better understand the landscape of informal, voluntary STEM-learning opportunities that Canadian students have access to and participate in outside of/after school. We begin by mapping the publicly available STEM focused programming for youth in Canada, revealing the geographic and economic barriers to extra-curricular STEM-based programming, even as there have been some efforts around inclusivity and STEM education, namely for girls, Indigenous youth, and minority youth, though these programs are far from ubiquitous. Among other insights, one important highlight that this mapping exercise has revealed is that very little is available for youth in rural and remote areas, unless it is online, and many programs have ‘reverted’ to in person given that pandemic restrictions have been lifted across Canada. In part to capture some of that shift back to in person from online, and to more fully chart what STEM programming in informal settings might look like, we also report on a set of interviews with STEM educators who are working in and designing these after school, summer camp, and online and other outside of school programs.
Authors:
Jennifer Jenson, The University of British Columbia, Canada
Nora Perry, The University of British Columbia, Canada
About the Presenter(s)
Professor Jennifer Jenson is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at The University of British Columbia in Canada
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