Scientists in the Family: Engaging Black Communities in STEM Through Accessible and Inclusive Science Stories

It is crucial for everyone to participate in the STEM enterprise to assure the continued technological and scientific advances. This project is unique because of its use of film and other visual assets to explore STEM identity, participation, and aspiration through a multigenerational approach featuring a Black mother, her family, and her community.

The project consists of four components: a feature-length documentary, a community engagement experience (Scientists in the Family), a companion digital project (30 short-form videos), and an integrated research project. Family narratives and artifacts will be used to provide a window into the aspirations, challenges, and opportunities associated with choosing to participate in the STEM enterprise and their impact on individuals, families, and communities.

This project is potentially transformative because it causes people to re-think how science is represented in individuals, their families, and their communities. It is important for all children and families to understand that historically underrepresented people have always been an integral part of science. Consistent with NSF’s pillar of accessibility and inclusivity and core values of diversity and inclusion, this project seeks to increase STEM engagement, curiosity, and belonging for multigenerational families historically underrepresented in STEM.

The project addresses the following research questions: 1) To what extent and how does participating in SiTF increase science center partners’ experience and confidence in engaging Black family members and integrating culturally relevant pedagogy into their STEM-based activities and community programming? 2) To what extent and how do Black families participate in the SiTF community engagement experiences, and is the envisioned “call and response” from screening to community events realized? 3) What is the impact of SiTF on participating youths’ interest, beliefs, and behavioral intent toward STEM and STEM-related careers? and 4) Does involvement in SiTF impact participating adult caregivers’ awareness of STEM opportunities and careers and their intention to encourage their children to further explore or pursue them? Audience outcomes are assessed through retrospective pre/post surveys, post screening and observational surveys, and creative artifacts.

A culturally relevant theoretical framework is used to explore issues of STEM identity, belonging, and engagement by building knowledge through a two-part summative study consisting of cross-site and case study evaluations. By engaging students to discover their hidden scientist, the project will help underrepresented youth see themselves, their families, and communities as part of the STEM enterprise.

This Type 5, Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM, project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.