One of the keys to having youth pursue STEM careers is developing their personal interest in science and technology. Often, hands-on activities in out-of-school contexts provide diverse youth with low-pressure, non-academic environments in which they can explore their interests more freely than they may be able to in a formal school setting.
A number of current ITEST projects conduct work in out-of-school and afterschool settings. You can search for these projects by visiting the projects section of our website. In addition, below is a list different resources about pursuing STEM education research and work in informal settings.
As well, the Center for Advancment of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is the resource center for the NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program and houses additional resources on this topic.