STEM learning is an issue of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility facing today’s youth, with an “achievement gap” persisting between low- and high-income students. Your library can play an important role in a tween’s development by tapping into their interests and providing a safe place for them to explore new concepts.
Work directly with underserved youth to understand their needs and interests. If you have a Teen or Tween Advisory Board, solicit their input early and often. Tweens bring a range of maturity levels, so plan to be flexible in what you set out to achieve. Meet potential collaborators to discuss their needs and brainstorm ways to support each other’s efforts. Decide together what you would like to do, and then formalize those ideas into goals that can evolve over the course of your collaboration. Start thinking about how you will measure progress toward those goals.
Learn more about how libraries have developed STEM partnerships >>
Learn more about how to evaluate your achievements >>
