Honoring Black Herstory and Hope: Informal STEM Leadership for Black Girls’ Empowerment

• In Event: Leadership for Liberation: Centering Marginalized Voices in Equity Reform

Abstract

Objectives
This study aims to explore how informal STEM educators and leaders can design professional learning communities (PLCs) and programmatic interventions that affirm Black girls’ STEM identities. The paper aims to address the systemic underrepresentation of Black girls in STEM by identifying effective frameworks and actionable strategies for supporting their educational and professional trajectories, both through research and direct application in the 100 Black Girls STEAM! Program initiative.

Theoretical Framework
The study is grounded in Critical Race Feminism (CRF), which centers on the lived experiences and intersectionality of Black girls and women. CRF acknowledges how race, gender, and class intersect to create unique forms of oppression, while also emphasizing counter-narratives and liberatory praxis. This framework guides both the analysis of systemic inequities and the design of transformative educational experiences that center on Black girls’ voices.

Methods
The research employs a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, engaging 14 informal STEM practitioners in a temporary PLC. Data were gathered through empirical research readings, three online focus group dialogues, reflection questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify shared insights and practices that emerged from participant collaboration.

Data Sources
Data sources include qualitative feedback from the participating informal STEM educators and leaders in San Diego, California. Additional materials include empirical research articles read during the PLC, participant reflections, and transcripts from group discussions and interviews. These materials were supplemented by the implementation and evaluation of the 100 Black Girls STEAM! program, which served as a research-to-practice model for affirming Black girls in informal STEM settings.

Results
Key findings demonstrate that informal STEM leaders benefit from structured PLCs to build community, critically examine systemic inequities, and co-create solutions that affirm Black girls’ identities. Participants developed promising practices and "quick wins" such as creating safe spaces, recruiting Black girls through community partnerships, centering their voices in program design, and actively confronting stereotypes. These findings were translated into action via the 100 Black Girls STEAM! program, which engaged over 100 students nationwide with culturally relevant online content taught by Black and/or women STEM professionals.

Scholarly Significance of the Study or Work
This research significantly advances the discourse on equity in STEM education by offering a rare, practitioner-informed framework for building culturally responsive learning environments in informal settings. It provides empirical and applied insights into how professional learning, critical reflection, and community partnerships can collectively empower Black girls in STEM. Aligned with AERA’s 2026 theme of “dismantling racial injustice and constructing educational possibilities,” this work illustrates how equity-driven leadership can reimagine the STEM pipeline and foster systemic transformation beyond traditional school walls.

Author

• Jasmine Johnson, University of California at San Diego