Module 5 Section 2

Create Beautiful Designs

Section 2: Formal and Informal Science Education and Community Partnerships
Summarize
   Section #2: Formal and Informal STEM Education and Community Partnerships

Formal and Informal STEM Education Institutions & Organizations
As illuminated in the timeline below, the history of STEM is diverse and includes both formal and informal STEM organizations and educational diversities in programming. Prior to the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union that began after World War II, most science and technology programs were small and locally based. That would change with the Space Race that began after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik and the Apollo Space Program that occurred within the United States during the sixties and seventies. STEM itself as a concept in science education would not emerge until the nineteen eighties where many of the STEM museums and organizations and the variety of informal STEM education exhibits and programs would flourish and grow to the present.

There are two types of STEM education within the United States: formal and informal STEM education. Formal STEM education describes all the K-12 and post-secondary STEM curricula and programs operating within schools and universities. The process of formal STEM describes how teachers design, implement and assess STEM learning activities according to district, state/territorial, and national standards. However, as future teachers, it is important to realize that there is a larger and more diverse range of informal STEM within the United States. Informal STEM describes all the educational programs designed and operated by a wide range of public/private institutions and organizations such as: museums science technology centers, nature centers, and other informal STEM organizations/clubs/ and other professional science associations such as the National Science Teaching Association we have utilized in this course. Each of these groups is described in detail below.

Natural History and Science Museums:
You are likely already familiar with the largest informal STEM organizations within the United States such as the Smithsonian Institution, California Science Center and the Natural History Museum of Utah. Millions of visitors explore STEM exhibits and programs at these and other STEM museums each year. Schools often visit natural history and science museums as part of their STEM programs as well. There are two basic informal STEM programs operating in museums. The first program includes the voluntary and informal exploration and interpretation of the museum's exhibits by young visitors who construct meaning from artifacts, models and other STEM phenomenon exhibited at these museums.

The second informal STEM programs are the numerous classes, guided tours, overnight camps, and other programs museum interpreters create for visitors including schools. The primary advantage of community partnerships with natural history and science museums for elementary educators is that the museums' exhibits, artifacts and educational programs can significantly enrich/enhance the school's STEM program as the exhibits and artifacts are not possible to recreate in most elementary classrooms.
National Park Visitor Centers and Other State/Local Nature Centers

The National Park Service operates visitor centers that include many STEM artifacts and programs related to the interpretation and enjoyment of the natural history and ecology of the national park in which it is located. Many states and communities also maintain a network of regional nature and wildlife centers where visitors (including schools) can come and learn about the region's diversity of plants and wildlife. Like museums, most nature and visitor centers maintain diverse exhibits and interpretive programs administered by park interpreters and/or local naturalists. Many park and nature centers also maintain an outreach program where informal STEM educators will visit schools with local plants, geology, or wildlife that students can explore and interact with.
Science Technology Centers (STCs) and other STEM Organizations

While elementary school teachers may be most familiar with museums and the other visitor centers explored above, The most diversity within informal STEM education revolves around SCTs and other STEM organizations. Examples of STEM organizations and clubs include First Lego Robotics, STEM Coding Camps for students, and geology/astronomy clubs where local experts work with and/or mentor K-12 students on a wide range of STEM programs within the community. Many of these informal STEM organizations have school outreach and after-school programs where elementary students can participate in STEM activities and learning as well. Other STEM organizations such as the National Science Teaching Association (or the Utah Science Teaching Association) offer professional development opportunities, lesson plans, and other STEM resources for K-12 teachers as well.

While the diversity of informal STEM organizations provide significant opportunities for school-community partnerships, the cost of many informal STEM programs and activities can also serve as an important barrier to educational inclusion for some schools and families. However, most informal STEM institutions and educators are aware of this issue and have increasingly offered free and online opportunities for engaging more students and schools that would not normally have access to their programs and exhibits. Another challenge for informal STEM educators revolves around how they create programs and resources within exceptional and multicultural contexts. As future K-12 educators, you will likely have more skills and awareness of how to differentiate and include your exceptional students than the STEM organizations and programs you are working with. Below are two articles for this module on the value of formal and informal STEM partnerships in education.

Article: Lopez, C. and Others (2016). Strengthening STEM education through community partnerships. (Article Link )
Report: US Department of Ed. STEM 2026 Vision. (Report Link )

Reflection QuestionsAfter reading the section above and the articles for our class, use these guiding questions to help frame your understanding of formal and informal STEM education:

How can informal STEM partnerships with museums and other science organizations enhance your school's STEM learning activities?
What informal STEM museums, organizations and other programs exist in your area?
Consider a future field trip you want to take to a natural history or science museum. How can you work with museum educators to meet the needs of your exceptional students? What about English language newcomers?