In 2009, the National Academies?of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released?Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places and Pursuits?(NRC, 2009), a landmark report that brought together disparate lines of research and practice related to informal science education and outlined a common framework and agenda for moving the field forward. In the years since its publication, opportunities to learn science, engineering, and STEM more broadly in informal environments have exploded and research on all aspects of STEM learning has continued to offer new insights into how to improve STEM learning across settings. Given this remarkable growth, the National Academies is launching a new consensus study aimed at updating the 2009 report by taking stock of the evidence base on STEM learning in informal environments and identifying new directions for the field. We are now seeking nominations of individuals for the consensus study committee with expertise in:
- Learning in STEM disciplines, including expertise in learning in each of the separate disciplines as well as learning that integrates all four disciplines
- STEM learning across settings, with specific expertise in family and community spaces, afterschool programming, museum and library education, and digital and social media
- STEM learning across the lifespan—children, youth, and adults?
- Professional development for providers of informal STEM education
- Program evaluation in informal settings