Spatial inequalities leave micropolitan areas and Indigenous populations underserved by informal STEM learning institutions

Abstract

Informal learning institutions (ILIs) create opportunities to increase public understanding of science and promote increased inclusion of groups underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers but are not equally distributed across the United States. We explore geographic gaps in the ILI landscape and identify three groups of underserved counties based on the interaction between population density and poverty percentage. Among ILIs, National Park Service lands, biological field stations, and marine laboratories occur in areas with the fewest sites for informal learning opportunities and have the greatest potential to reach underserved populations, particularly in rural or high poverty counties. Most counties that are underserved by ILIs occur in the Great Plains, the southeast, and the northwest. Furthermore, these counties have higher Indigenous populations who are underrepresented in STEM careers. These unexpected geographic gaps represent opportunities for investments in ILI offerings through collaborations and expansion of existing resources.

Combining Outreach and Cross-sectional Research to Gather Children’s Soil Values in Aotearoa New Zealand: Protocol for the Mixed Methods Soilsafe Kids Program

“…Traditionally, schools in close proximity to research centers have more opportunities to work with researchers [37,38]. While this is convenient, it also means that students attending schools farther away have fewer interactions with researchers and are less likely to imagine themselves as researchers [39].…”

Long-Term Retention of Diverse Paleontologists Requires Increasing Accessibility

“…Layered on top of an USP/URP identity there is an additional identity derived from familial history of college education. USP and URP students are much more likely to be the first person in their family to attend college (1G) (Bui, 2002;Short et al, 2020;Hamrick, 2021). Thus, the host of challenges faced by 1G students when it comes to their long term retention (Hutchison, 2017) must be addressed as part of any efforts to foster diversity in geoscience fields.…”

“…URPs refers to Underrepresented Persons, those that comprise a smaller percentage of students/researchers within a field of interest (e.g., paleontology) than in the general population (Hamrick, 2021). USPs refers to Underserved Persons, those traditionally disadvantaged compared to other groups because of structural/societal/economic obstacles to educational resources (Short et al, 2020). Star icon represents the intersectional identity of first-generation, underrepresented and underserved scholars.…”

Adult Education at Biological Field Stations: Building Capacity for Science Learning

“…As previously described, BFSs are physically located to leverage places of scientific or environmental interest (Tydecks et al, 2016), which differentiates BFSs from other ILI types situated near population centers (Short et al, 2020). A key component of the Outreach Framework (Struminger et al, 2018) is the centrality of place, which can be a tool for learning specific content or can, in itself, be the content.…”