The Remedy Is in the Roots: Insights From Black and Latina Girls on STEM Education

• In Event: Stories, Science, and Social Change: Integrating Pedagogy and Culture

Abstract

This study employs care and community cultural wealth as a lens and utilizes community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) to investigate the role of formal science curricula in affirming the STEM identity of Black and Latina girls. Community coresearchers found that STEM instructional practices and curricula often silence and marginalize Black and Latina girls within classrooms. Despite these barriers, the girls, along with their families, leverage their community cultural wealth to support ongoing STEM engagement, understanding that care and community play a crucial role as they navigate their education. By using CBPAR, this study elevates the voices of girls of color and serves as a catalyst for actionable change in STEM education, highlighting the transformative potential of community-informed practices.

Authors

• Laura Peña-Telfer

• Natalie S. King, Georgia State University