The GRIND: Generative Research and Inclusive Networks in Data as a Site for Equitable STEM Identity

• In Event: Data, Play, and Power: Sports as Culturally Sustaining Learning Sites

Abstract

Grounded in recognition that race, identity, culture, and context shape sports science and STEM learning, the GRIND Conference brings together scholars, practitioners, and youth to reimagine sports as culturally sustaining entry points into computational making and STEM pathways for Black and Brown students (Edouard, 2024; Jones et al., 2020). The GRIND framework rests on four pillars: knowledge sharing and asset mapping for networked improvement; expansive, identity-affirming curriculum that embeds athletic and cultural identity into STEM; elevating local ecosystem insight via media to amplify narrative power; and using data with an explicit equity lens to strengthen program quality. Together these elements make sports generative sites where students become creators, analysts, and changemakers, guiding iterative design and scaling so athletic and intellectual excellence reinforce each other. The approach centers lived experience in sports, technology, and academic performance to disrupt the jock/nerd binary and treat athletic contexts as fertile grounds for STEM skill development and representation (Edouard & Stewart, 2024; Jones et al., 2020).

This work confronts two linked challenges: reconceptualizing sports’ role in STEM education through culturally sustaining, evidence-backed practices, and producing actionable frameworks and examples that allow sports and STEM to coexist as complementary pathways (Clegg et al., 2023; Rubin, 2016). By leveraging sports as a gateway into data science and computational making, GRIND builds inclusive networks that deepen identity-aligned engagement and broaden participation, creating new opportunities for success both academically and athletically.

Central research questions include: How can interest-driven computational making anchored in sports advance STEM engagement in culturally relevant ways? What strategies integrate sports and computational making to dismantle traditional barriers and support equitable pathways? How can a shared framework guide students toward competitive STEM careers while attending to preparation and sustained engagement? What tools and products can emerge to sustain and disseminate these integrated pathways across the broader STEM ecosystem?

The intellectual merit lies in positioning sports as culturally relevant contexts where students explore data analytics, computational thinking, and tool creation to link performance with identity, enhancing understanding of modeling, decision-making, and innovation. This framing shifts learners from passive recipients to empowered knowledge producers whose athletic experiences are legitimate learning environments. Broader impacts arise from scalable, culturally sustaining models that use sports data and computational making to teach critical STEM literacies. Centering sports ensures learning environments reflect students’ cultural identities, sustain engagement, and expand access in formal and informal settings. Resulting outputs—tools, strategies, and networks—enable marginalized students to navigate and reshape systems, increasing participation while addressing equity gaps.

The theoretical grounding integrates culturally responsive and sustaining practices, viewing sports as rich sites for identity development (Nasir & Cooks, 2009; Nasir & Hand, 2008) and coherent growth across sports and STEM (Dorph et al., 2016; Nasir et al., 2020). This session shares emerging models and collective commitments, inviting collaboration to build a new playbook that leverages sports’ cultural power for equitable, interdisciplinary STEM learning. Participants will leave with sharper framing, practical strategies, and actionable examples aligning athletic and intellectual excellence.

Authors

• Kareem Edouard, Drexel University

• Marcelo A.B. Worsley, Northwestern University