A messaging toolkit to make the case for STEM in afterschool
As advocates for STEM programming, we’ve all experienced resistance. “I’m not a science person,” someone groans. “Science in a library?” They raise their eyebrows.
Whether you need to inspire a fellow librarian, convince a skeptical director, or market programs to your patrons, STEM Afterschool: It’s Time to Activate! can help. A clear, easy to read and use advocacy toolkit, this guide from the Frameworks Institute and Afterschool STEM Hub will help you ignite support and expand community STEM learning in your library. Bright, presentation-ready pages provide a comprehensive list of clear talking points and concise, relevant research and/or case studies for each; a Quick Start Campaign Guide offers easy framing strategies; a Q & A section answers common STEM program advocates’ concerns; and an annotated list of original studies and related resources helps STEM program advocates communicate more powerfully. There’s even a customizable page where librarians can insert an explanation of their own program.
Seventy-five percent of Nobel laureates in the sciences credit informal science education experiences for inspiring their lifelong passion, and study after study has shown that afterschool STEM programs engage and sustain interest in STEM fields, a professional sector predicted to grow 17% between 2008 and 2018. Yet a Nielsen study shows that children living in rural areas participate in afterschool STEM learning half as much as urban children. Just about every small town has a library, and by persuasively advocating for the expansion and support of library-facilitated informal STEM learning, we can help spark the next generation of STEM leaders.
