Dismantling and Building Together Through Care and Community: Reimaging STEM With Black and Latina Girls

• In Event: Community and Cultural Wealth Approaches to Out-of-School-Time Study, Design, and Assessment

Abstract

This paper employs care and community cultural wealth as a lens and utilizes community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) to examine and reimagine STEM education. The study investigates how Black and Latina co-researchers define care and community within STEM learning spaces, examines the influence of curriculum on their STEM identity development, and explores their roles as co-researchers in the CBPAR process. Findings reveal that formal science curricula do not affirm the identities of Black and Latina girls. However, transformative STEM education is possible when it leverages informal learning spaces and values familial support. This research emphasizes the significance of centering care and community, offering actionable insights to foster inclusivity and humanize STEM education. It underscores the transformative potential of community-informed education.

Authors

• Laura Peña-Telfer

• Natalie S. King, Georgia State University