Equity-Oriented STEM-Rich Making Among Youth From Historically Marginalized Communities

• In Event: Intersections of Equity, Engineering, and Literacy: Exploring Possible Presents, Building Possible Futures

Abstract

Purpose
The maker movement has evoked interest for its potential role in breaking down barriers to STEM learning and attainment, especially in engineering (Martin, 2015). However, there is little evidence that the culture of the maker movement has been broadly shaped by a diverse audience. We are concerned with understanding the possibilities for equity-oriented and STEM-rich making for youth from historically marginalized communities. We seek to contribute new knowledge and practice for transforming the maker culture in ways that are both equitable and consequential for such youth, expanding the ecology of making and the maker movement. We report on our investigation into the following:
1. How does community engagement as a part of STEM-rich making impact what, how and why youth choose to make?
2. What are the outcomes of youths’ making practices with regards to their communities, and with regards to shaping the making culture in their community making spaces?

Theoretical Framework
We ground our work in a mobilities of learning framework, anchored in expansive and connected learning principles (Engestrom & Saninno, 2010). We then layer on an explicit focus on the intersectionalities of race, class and gender, across this framework. There are three dimensions that tie to our study in making contexts: 1) Historicity – emphasizing that making always takes place in particular spaces and times influenced by institutional, societal and individual histories; 2) Remixing, of resources, relationships and tools for nontraditional outcomes and forging new norms; 3) Identity work – who people are and who they can be, when they are making.

Methods & Data
Our study was carried out as a longitudinal critical ethnography over a four-year period. Data were generated from 41 youth team projects, including artifacts, weekly youth conversation groups, and video analysis capturing youth interaction with STEM and community experts at various stages in their design process. Data analysis involved multiple stages and levels of coding based on procedures for open coding and method of constant comparison (Strauss & Corbin, 1998).

Results
We present representative case studies to illustrate two key findings: Relationality and making towards making visible historicized injustices; and Engaging making with community towards co-making and expanding social networks. The Little STEM library case in which two youth Samuel and Fall, built a STEM library for their community club and created maker-kits for the library illustrates how youth respond to intersecting injustices in their lives that they ameliorate through making. Zani and Kandy’s Donator app was a multi-faceted and nuanced tool they developed after they discussed the problem space of homelessness in terms of housing rights at national, state, city, and individual levels. They explored how they could leverage their own experiences with both housing resources and digital technologies to engineer a potential solution.

Significance
To promote equity in engineering/making, it is essential we understand who youth-makers are, what issues they care about, who other stakeholders could be with whom youth-makers can collaborate, what resources and approaches are sanctioned and renegotiated in ways that foster equitable and consequential making for the youth.

Authors

• Angela Calabrese Barton, University of Michigan

• Edna Tan, University of North Carolina at Greensboro