A Review of Funding for Informal STEM Education
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 Review of Funding for Informal STEM Education
This month, we will continue our series by examining Dr. Sarah Dunifon’s research on funding priorities and evaluation policies of informal STEM learning funding organizations (check out our introductory piece here). The following content is based on or excerpted from Dr. Dunifon’s dissertation, An Examination of Evaluation Policies and Funding Priorities in Informal STEM Education. The research cited in this piece was conducted between April 2022 and March 2023. You can access the full dissertation here.
Today, we will continue by discussing who supports informal STEM education.
Funding Support for Informal STEM Education
In the United States, informal STEM education funders typically are encompassed by three broad categories: corporate philanthropies (e.g., Broadcom Foundation, Intel Foundation); government agencies (e.g., National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration); and private foundations (e.g., Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation). It should be noted that there are other organizations outside of these categories, such as community foundations, that also support informal STEM education organizations.
Funding organizations range vastly in size and focus. Some may support local or regional programs, while others serve all of the U.S. or STEM initiatives globally. Many organizations operate around the world to serve local and national opportunities abroad as well. In this piece, we’ll focus only on U.S. funders.
Funders also range drastically in size and support. Many organizations fund less than $1M annually, while others support tens of millions of dollars (or more) each year. Some funders focus primarily on informal STEM education, while others have a vast portfolio of interests.
To read the full article, check it out in our Insights.
Our Updates
We are excited to announce that Dr. Sarah Dunifon’s dissertation, An Examination of Evaluation Policies and Funding Priorities in Informal STEM Education Funding Organizations, is now available to read! Her research explores how funding organizations influence the landscape of informal STEM education through their evaluation policies and funding decisions.
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.
Following a convening in June 2024, The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and Education Development Center (EDC) co-created two resources for those interested in equitably scaling informal STEM learning programs and curricula. These resources were created specifically for program developers, implementers, researchers, evaluators, and funders. The first resource, Guidelines for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs, covers current research and frameworks for scaling programs; the second resource, Collaborative Decision-Making Tool for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs, assists practitioners in implementing the guidelines.
Screenshot of Guidelines for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs cover page The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released the NSF 75th Anniversary: NSF STEM Day Dear Colleague Letter (DCL). The DCL encourages the submission of supplemental funding requests from current Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) and Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) award recipients. AISL Program officers will host two live webinars to address the DCL on Monday, September 16th, and Tuesday, October 15th for those interested in learning more.
Looking for science project suggestions for kids and adults? Check out Science Buddies’ topic selection wizard! The wizard asks a series of questions about interest in science topics, user competencies, and what kinds of activities outside the classroom the user enjoys, and comes up with suggestions for science projects based on the answers. This would be a great tool for students who are interested in science but are unsure where to start, or just need some inspiration to get started!
Screenshot of results from Science Buddies’ topic selection wizard
Opportunities
Check out these new opportunities for the informal STEM learning community.
Funding:
Bee Grants, Whole Kids Foundation, up to $1,500. Schools and non-profit organizations that serve grades K-12 are invited to apply for monetary and equipment grants to start or enhance existing bee programs. The grants will support educational bee hives and bee programming so students can observe bees up close and learn about pollinators' vital role in the food system. Applications are due October 15, 2024.
Early Childhood Education and Play, Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood, average $40,000. 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 September 30, 2024.
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), up to $75,000. Small museums of all disciplines, through the Museums for America program and IMLS, are invited to apply for grants in three project categories: Lifelong Learning, Institutional Capacity, and Collections Stewardship and Access. The application deadline is November 15, 2024.
National Leadership Grants for Museums, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), $50,000-$750,000. Museums of all disciplines are invited to apply for grants designed to support projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession to strengthen museum services for the American public. Applications are open through November 15, 2024.
The Under Pressure Funding Challenge, Young Futures & Center for Digital Thriving, up to $1 Million. U.S.-based non-profit organizations are invited to apply for the Under Pressure Funding Challenge, which seeks solutions to alleviate the pressures teens and preteens face in navigating today's tech-driven world. Up to ten one-year grants will be awarded in support of in-person or online programs, tech-driven platforms, or hybrid approaches that support positive youth development. Applications are due October 1, 2024.
Jobs and Fellowships:
Education Program Director, Borderlands Restoration Network (Patagonia, AZ), $57,000. The Education Program Director will oversee Borderlands Restoration Network's education program serving the Mexico-USA borderlands between Sonora and Arizona. They will create and maintain programming, supervise staff (including interns), and develop and evaluate experiential learning for culturally diverse audiences. Applications are due September 30, 2024.
Environmental Educator I - WET Science Center, LOTT Clean Water Alliance (Olympia, WA), $5,000-$6,000/month. The WET Science Center is seeking an Environmental Educator for a 7-month temporary assignment beginning in November 2024. The Educator will lead middle school field trips, plan and support STEAM educational activities for visitors, and assist in conducting day-to-day operations at the WET Science Center.
Manager - School & Teacher Engagement, Intrepid Museum (New York, NY), $65,000. The Manager of School & Teacher Engagement will oversee educational programming for K-12 students and teachers. This includes oversight, development, delivery, and assessment of interdisciplinary history and STEM programming.
Program Officer, Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Palo Alto, CA), $190,000. The Program Officer will operate as part of a three-person initiative team, creating and overseeing a portfolio of high-impact grants that advance active engagement with science that enables youth and their communities to draw on curiosity to ask questions, use and pursue evidence, and solve problems. The Officer will conduct grantmaking activities, manage relationships with grantees, and implement grant evaluation plans.
STEM Education Office Coordinator, Desert Research Institute (Reno, NV), $53,000. The STEM Education Office Coordinator will support administrative and curriculum development tasks, including program maintenance and development. They will be responsible for logistical support, management of STEM kit shipments, and management of inventory, in addition to other daily office needs.
Professional Development:
ASTC Chicago 2024, Association of Science and Technology Centers, September 28-October 1, 2024 (Chicago, IL). ASTC will host their annual conference in Chicago, IL from September 28-October 1, 2024. The conference will host a global community of science-engagement professionals, leaders in science and technology centers, and museums for plenary and professional development sessions.
Data & Society at 10: Foreseeable Futures Livestream, Data & Society, September 26, 2024 (Virtual). Join Data & Society for their livestream, Data & Society at 10: Foreseeable Futures. The livestream will explore the often unseen impacts that data-centric technologies have on society and will engage with experts in the field to discuss larger questions on how societies choose to design and govern technology. The livestream will take place on September 26, 2024, at 6:00 PM ET.
Unconference: Beyond the Playground: Advancing Racial Equity in Play, Trying Together, October 14, 2024 (Pittsburgh, PA). Trying Together invites early childhood educators (formal and informal) to attend an Unconference focused on the value and necessity of play; the benefits of play-based learning; how school and state policy may impact their children’s play experiences; and play, race identity, and the arts. The Unconference will be held at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens on October 14, 2024. Registration closes on September 30, 2024.
Verizon Academy, STEM Next Opportunity Fund, October - December 2024 (Virtual). STEM Next Opportunity Fund is seeking applications from out-of-school-time providers serving at least 45 youth in grades 5-8 for Verizon Academy. This in-depth training program will teach providers how to implement Verizon’s new learning journeys designed to engage youth in building technical and social/emotional skills through hands-on experiential learning. If selected, applicants are eligible to receive a $2,500 stipend. Applications are due October 1, 2024.
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