Equitable Informal STEM Learning: Tools for Practitioners

How to Use

Use YESTEM tools to grow your team’s capacity to understand and engage with complex issues pertaining to equity and social justice, in both policy and practice: 

• The Equity Compass - identify how and why particular practices may be more or less equitable by mapping your team’s practice along the Equity Compass’ axes. Consider each axis’ guiding questions to reflect on policy and/or practice in generalized or specific applications, from organizational policy to individual educational programs.  
• Core Equitable Practices - incorporate eight core equitable practices to ensure all STEM learners feel welcome and comfortable engaging in ISL. Learn about each practice using associated toolkits: an Overview Guide; the Bids Tool, to understand youth actions; the Talk Moves Tool, to support youth interactions; and the Practice Measure Tool, to gather feedback. 
• Equitable Youth Outcomes Model for ISL - intended for ISL researchers, practitioners, organizations, and funders, this model can serve as a tool for recognizing equitable youth outcomes from ISL participation, for reflecting on current practice, and for future planning. While many frameworks exist, the YESTEM model “helps to ‘cut through’ generic outcomes data to identify outcomes with a greater equitable potential.”