A Month in the Life of an Informal STEM Learning Program Evaluator
Welcome to Insights & Opportunities: A Hub for Informal STEM Education! Insights & Opportunities is a twice-monthly newsletter for educators, administrators, legislators, and advocates who recognize the importance of informal STEM learning.
This newsletter is brought to you by me, Sarah Dunifon, and my team at Improved Insights. I’m a long-time STEM educator, researcher, and equity advocate. Along with my team, I now work on cutting-edge informal STEM learning research and evaluation.
Each edition of this newsletter offers exciting insights, resources, and opportunities for informal STEM learning professionals, including funding, jobs, professional development, informal STEM learning research, evaluation tips and resources, and so much more! We hope you find it valuable. Now, let’s get started.
A Month in the Life of an Informal STEM Learning Program Evaluator
On our Insights page we talk a lot about evaluation practice within the context of informal learning from a broad, field-wide perspective. This year has presented some unique challenges for ISE. The field is grappling with government disinvestment in agencies that have historically supported our programs and institutions. However, the work continues.
Today, I thought I’d switch gears from addressing field-wide issues and instead paint a picture of what the day-to-day of an informal STEM education (ISE) program evaluator looks like.
Folks interested in joining the field of ISE program evaluation often ask me what my day to day schedule looks like and, well, it varies hugely!
To read the full article, check it out in our Insights.
ii Updates
The second edition of Evaluation Insights, our column in Connected Science Learning, is now available! In 2024, Dr. Sarah Dunifon was invited to serve as the evaluation expert contributing to this National Science Teaching Association journal focused on the intersections between formal and informal learning. In Planning for Impact with Logic Models and Theories of Change, she discusses how theories of change and logic models can provide helpful frameworks for intentional STEM education program design and evaluation, the differences between these frameworks, and use cases for each.
60-Second Suggestions
Here are a few of my favorite things this month, usually pertaining to informal STEM education and evaluation, but occasionally some fun personal stuff, too.
On May 10th, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will celebrate its 75th anniversary. As part of that celebration, NSF's Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) and NSF-funded EDU resource centers are collecting impact stories of NSF EDU-funded work via this survey to share the valuable and meaningful influence of these programs on communities throughout the U.S.
This article in Library Journal discusses how local libraries play an often overlooked but significant role in disaster preparedness and recovery. With major spring weather outbreaks now well underway, this piece provides an interesting perspective on how integral these institutions are within their communities as centers for resources and safety during times of crisis.
The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Affiliate Network is calling for teachers, nonformal educators, parents, and more to join the Outside for 5 movement, which encourages folks to spend at least five minutes per day, five days a week learning outside with students. The initiative has collected a variety of resources and ideas for learning outdoors, emphasizing social-emotional wellness of students, other educators, and school communities.
Opportunities
Check out these new opportunities for the informal STEM learning community.
Funding:
Early Childhood Education and Play, Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood, variable. Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in support of programs aimed at improving the quality of early childhood education everywhere a child learns through innovative curricula and designing imaginative play materials and learning environments. Letters of inquiry are due May 31, 2025.
Seeding Action with iNaturalist Funded Cohort, Seeding Action and iNaturalist, up to $20,000. Association of Science and Technology Centers and Seeding Action member organizations who have used iNaturalist in the past are invited to apply for funding to undertake new or expanded projects that leverage the iNaturalist app to encourage local action. The cohort will meet regularly from July 2025 to December 2025 to support collective brainstorming, learning, and project planning. Applications are due May 22, 2025.
STEM Stars Grant Program, Glenn W. Bailey Foundation, up to $25,000. Funding is available to organizations that support middle and high school students in advanced STEM programs (both in and out of school) and who ultimately want to pursue a college degree in a STEM-related field. Various STEM interest areas are supported by the grants, including Enrichment Activities, Assessment and Evaluation, and Parent and Community Engagement. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
Student STEM Enrichment Program (SSEP), Burroughs Wellcome Fund, up to $60,000. Nonprofit organizations, including public and private schools, colleges and universities, and community groups in North Carolina are invited to apply for grants in support of diverse programs that enable K-12 students to participate in creative, hands-on STEM activities. Programs must employ inquiry-based avenues of exploration. Applications are due June 9, 2025.
Youth4Climate's Call for Solutions 2025, Youth4Climate, up to $30,000. Youth ages 18-29 from 159 countries and territories covered by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are invited to submit for seed funding of youth-led solutions focused on climate action. The 2025 call focuses on six thematic areas: Sustainable Energy; Food and Agriculture; Climate and Health; Digital for Planet; Climate, Peace and Security; and Nature for Climate Action. Three-minute submission videos and proposals are due May 26, 2025.
Jobs and Fellowships:
Backcountry Wilderness Area Environmental Education Coordinator, Highlands Ranch Community Association (Littleton, CO), $27.00/hour. The Environmental Education Coordinator will plan, coordinate, and implement environmental education programs for diverse age groups, including curriculum development, program delivery, and collaboration with staff. They will also lead volunteer recruitment, training, and scheduling.
Community Engagement & Outreach Coordinator, Champlain Area Trails (Westport, NY), $51,000. The Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator will promote, organize, oversee, and build public support for outdoor education, public hikes, and community involvement. They will lead volunteer development efforts and coordinate with staff to implement public events throughout the year. Applications are due May 13, 2025.
Executive Director, Great Old Broads for Wilderness (Remote), $100,000. The Executive Director is an experienced leader with a deep understanding of grassroots advocacy, experience with nonprofit management, who is passionate about the protection of public lands, waters, and wild areas. They will build trusting and mutually beneficial relationships between staff, volunteers, and board members, set strategic direction for advocacy programs and campaigns, and model commitment to shared leadership. Priority application review begins May 23, 2025.
Growing Spaces Program Manager, Westminster University (Salt Lake City, UT), $43,000. The Growing Spaces Program Manager will maintain Westminster campus garden activities, collaborate with campus partners’ growing and wellness initiatives, and promote environmental awareness in educational events. They will oversee the day-to-day operations of the greenhouse, food forest, organic garden, and orchard, and supervise supporting student staff.
Vice President of Programming, Orlando Science Center (Orlando, FL), $100,000. The Vice President of Programming will provide strategic leadership and vision for the museum’s programming efforts, ensuring the development and implementation of high-quality, innovative, and interactive educational experiences. They will oversee departmental operating budgets, design and development of museum programming, and evaluate and improve quality standards for all visitor programming.
Professional Development:
2025 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, American Horticultural Society, July 8-11, 2025 (Hartford, CT). The 33rd Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium will take place at the Connecticut Science Center July 8-11, 2025. This year's theme is "Science & History in Youth Gardening." Hundreds of educators from across the country will unite to explore how gardens serve as vital educational tools for conveying scientific concepts and preserving landscapes and culture.
2025 Rural STEM Learning Summit, Arizona Rural STEM Summit, August 26-29, 2025 (Fort McDowell, AZ). The Arizona Rural STEM Summit will bring together STEM educators, administrators, STEM industry professionals, and community leaders to strengthen and elevate the quality of STEM education in rural communities through practice and dialogue. Participate in hands-on workshops, share resources, and expand professional networks aimed at addressing and exploring the unique challenges and opportunities of STEM education in rural communities. The Summit will be held August 26-29, 2025.
2025 Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, Teach Climate Network, July 14-17, 2025 (Virtual). The Summer Institute for Climate Change Education invites both formal and informal educators to join for a three-day climate change education conference July 14-17, 2025. The Institute will explore the themes of: Understanding and Observing Climate Change, Education for Justice, Educators as Change Makers & Champions, and Climate Change Education Policy, among others.
NAAEE 2025: Forward Together, North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), November 3-6, 2025 (virtual). NAAEE is seeking presentation proposals for its 54th annual conference. The conference will be held virtually this year, November 3-6, 2025, and NAAEE is inviting proposals from around the world that speak to the overall theme, “Forward Together.” Proposal submissions are due May 16, 2025.
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