Cheers to Informal STEM Education: Highlights from 2024 and Anticipations for 2025
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.Â
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.
Cheers to Informal STEM Education: Highlights from 2024 and Anticipations for 2025
Happy holiday season to all! At this time of year, many are taking time to reflect on their accomplishments and looking forward to what’s to come in the new year. We’re joining in with some highlights from our work (and some personal achievements!) and a few things we are excited about in 2025.
2024 Highlights
In June, we got to celebrate Dr. Sarah Dunifon’s successful defense of her dissertation, An Examination of Evaluation Policies and Funding Priorities in Informal STEM Education. We took some time in August, September, and October to discuss some of Dr. Dunifon’s findings, and you can find more about her work in our Insights.
After wrapping up her dissertation and several big evaluation projects, Dr. Dunifon took a well-earned sabbatical in July. During her time off, Sarah took some time to travel to Acadia National Park in Maine and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and also explored some fun STEM-related activities closer to home (you can read all about it here!). Overall, it was a wonderful time to reconnect with the outdoors and spend some quality time with family and friends enjoying all kinds of summer activities!
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We’re Taking a Break!
Thank you all for tuning in to our Insights and the newsletter this year. Like many of you, we are taking a break from some of our daily tasks in December to spend some quality time with loved ones. This will be our last article of 2024, but we are looking forward to seeing you with more informal STEM education insights and opportunities to connect and learn together in the new year!
In the meantime, we are leaving you with some fun, STEM-related activity ideas to carry you through the holiday season.
To read the full article, check it out in our Insights.
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.
Overdeck Family Foundation recently issued a collection of five studies from 2024 that impacted their thinking about out-of-school time STEM experiences, early childhood education, teacher quality, and student achievement in education systems. Topics represented by these reports include the importance of access to informal STEM opportunities and innovations in tutoring.
This article by Vanessa Barela, a Civics and Environmental Education CEE-Change Fellow, discusses her experience with implementing her Community Action Project in New Mexico. Vanessa’s project focused on bridging the gap between environmental education and agriculture in rural communities. Through this experience, Vanessa encountered issues of systemic inequity and navigated partnerships with field experts, including nonprofits and state agencies, in order to promote statewide systemic change for youth.
This article from Essence highlights Tamar Huggins and her 13-year-old daughter, Talia Grant, the creators of Spark Plug, an equitable alternative to Chat GPT that translates classic literature into modern language. Their platform utilizes ethical data sourced from the works of authors that emerged from the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights movement, centering Black communities in a technological environment that too often perpetuates systemic inequities and negative impacts. Spark Plug recently received $1.4 million in funding, signaling a shift in industry priorities.
OpportunitiesÂ
Check out these new opportunities for the informal STEM learning community.
Funding:
2025 Summer Programs, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, up to $50,000. Summer programs serving the Hartford, CT area are invited to apply for funding. Programs should support Hartford youth and people with disabilities during the summer of 2025. Eligible programs include summer camperships, enrichment opportunities, tutorial experiences, or counselor-in-training programs. The application deadline is January 13, 2024.
Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), National Science Foundation (NSF), up to $3.5 Million over 5 years. NSF's Advanced Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Program is seeking project submissions from informal STEM learning organizations. Grants will be awarded to five project types: (1) Synthesis; (2) Conference; (3) Partnership Development and Planning; (4) Integrating Research and Practice; and (5) Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM. The program seeks proposals that center engagement, broadening participation, and belonging. Up to $3.5 million in funding over five years is available in certain project categories. Submissions are due January 8, 2025.
AMS Young Scholars Program, American Mathematical Society (AMS), up to $15,000. Directors of US-based summer math programs for high school students are invited to apply for funding of up to $15,000. Funds will be utilized as scholarships for program participants (no less than 50%), and the remaining will support program expenses. Programs must have a proven track record and promote engagement with math in a way that builds curiosity and confidence. Applications are due by January 22, 2025.
Motorola Solutions Foundation Grants, Motorola Solutions Foundation, up to $50,000. Motorola Solutions Foundation's 2025 grant cycle is now open and accepting applications from nonprofits and school districts. Schools and organizations focusing on technology and engineering education will be prioritized in 2025, particularly those that engage students through hands-on learning in computer science, robotics, coding, and cybersecurity. Inquiry forms are due by January 23, 2025.
Pathways Out of Poverty Program, The Herb Block Foundation, up to $25,000. Nonprofits serving the greater Washington, D.C. region are invited to apply for funding through the Pathways Out of Poverty program. Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to support efforts to help young people and adults gain a quality education. The foundation seeks proposals that focus on improving student achievement and the healthy development of young people, including after-school activities and mentoring programs. Letters of inquiry are due February 5, 2025.
Jobs and Fellowships:
Education & Premium Experiences Supervisor, San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA), $71,000. The Education & Premium Experiences Supervisor is responsible for daily supervision of education and tour operations. They will oversee staff and facilities, coordinate a team of educators to implement paid guest experiences and education programs, and ensure the delivery of high-quality guest experiences. Applications are due December 19, 2024.
Guest Engagement Fellow, Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL), $18.00/hour. The Guest Engagement Fellowship is an immersive program for emerging professionals focused on conservation and science, informal learning, and meaningful connection with guests, including facilitation of education programs and animal encounters. Training and professional development will take place on zoo grounds from March 3 - November 8, 2025, for a total of 25-30 hours per week. Applications are due January 3, 2025.
Informal Learning Services Program Manager, Seattle Public Library (Seattle, WA), $92,000. The Program Manager will coordinate and administer informal learning programs focused on equity and accessibility for patrons of all ages, with an emphasis on STEM and arts programming. Responsibilities include staff supervision, program development, program evaluation, and partnership building.
Vice President for Programs, Montana Conservation Corps (Bozeman, MT), $95,000. The Vice President for Programs will oversee and lead the strategic direction, implementation, and evaluation of statewide conservation and leadership programs. They will manage program staff, partnerships, and budgets, ensuring alignment with MCC’s mission. Applications are due January 3, 2025.
Youth Education Program Manager, Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (Columbia, MO), $40,000. The Youth Education Manager will supervise a team to lead youth education programming, including operations, administration, and curriculum development. They will maintain existing and develop new community partnerships, schedule lessons and field trips, manage the program budget, and participate in program evaluations.
Professional Development:
2025 Outdoor School Summit, Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA), January 10-14, 2025 (North East, MD). Directors and management staff from overnight outdoor schools, residential environmental learning centers, and nature-based camps in North America are invited to attend the 2025 Outdoor School Summit. The Summit will host a variety of sessions, field trips, and networking opportunities to support and strengthen outdoor school professionals. The Summit will be held January 10-14, 2025. Register to attend by January 3, 2025.
ALA 2025 LibLearnX: Reimagine, Refocus, Reset: Charting a Path for the Future, American Library Association (ALA), January 24-27, 2025 (Phoenix, AZ). LibLearnX, a professional development experience for library professionals hosted by the American Library Association, will be hosted in Phoenix, AZ from January 24-27, 2025. Attendees will participate in hands-on workshops, bite-size sessions, and long-form sessions focused on experiential learning. Register by January 17, 2025, for advance pricing.
ISE Equity Visionaries, REVISE Center, January-June 2025 (virtual). The REVISE Center invites informal STEM education (ISE) professionals to apply for the ISE Equity Visionaries cohort. The program will be made up of a series of educational, networking, and supportive workshops and discussions designed to strengthen the capacity of prospective organizations to apply for federal funding opportunities through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Applications to the cohort are due December 19, 2024.
Museums Advocacy Day 2025, American Alliance of Museums, February 24-25, 2025 (Washington, D.C.). Museums Advocacy Day 2025 will be held in Washington, D.C. from February 24-25, 2025. Museums Advocacy Day is a unique opportunity to unite with museum colleagues and supporters from across the country as one voice to reaffirm essential values, collective contributions, and aspirations while making the critical case for museums directly to Congress. Register by January 17, 2025.
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Insights and Opportunities. While you’re waiting for the next edition, tell your friends! We appreciate you sending along a blog post you enjoyed, a job opportunity you think a friend should apply for, and resources you found valuable. Sharing this newsletter is the best way to support this work. Until next time - thanks!Â
