Enhancing Cultural Responsiveness in Afterschool STEM Programs

By Andrés Forero Cuervo, Daniel Morrison, & Alessandra Pantano

Out-of-school time (OST) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs have gained recognition for their potential to enhance youth engagement, motivation, and skills by addressing young people’s needs for autonomy, competence, and connection (Faust & Kuperminc, 2020; Hoffman et al., 2021; Mulvey et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2022; Yu et al., 2020). These programs, particularly when they combine academic and social focuses, can significantly impact student interest in STEM, with middle school being an optimal stage for intervention (Young, Ortiz, & Young, 2017).