Supporting marginalized youth’s science identity
Students from marginalized communities often feel they are outsiders to science—their cultural ways of knowing are not valued in the science classroom, their experiences and expertise not considered relevant, and their interests ignored. Bio4Community aims to disrupt these classroom dynamics by developing science learning environments that are meaningful and relevant to students’ lives, that support them in developing deep science knowledge and that leverage their lived experiences and expertise to address inequities and injustices.
Studying rightful presence and consequential learning
Bio4Community’s design-based research focuses on co-design efforts to expand science practice. Prior work on rightful presence in STEM learning contexts has demonstrated that disrupting settled, powered participation structures can support expansive epistemic agency and bring consequential learning to the fore. We study how we can center youths’ voices in design and their lived experiences in scientific practices, how to weave care into epistemic discourse and embed technology to support connecting biology with sociopolitical realities.
Meaningful, relevant, and actionable STEM learning
Bio4Community supports consequential learning and rightful presence of marginalized students in science classrooms. Learning is consequential when it is meaningful, relevant, and actionable in students’ lives by targeting injustices that they and their communities experience. The work of social change towards more equitable science and science learning environments is borne by all members of the community, not solely by the marginalized. Students work together with teachers as allies to reimagine the ways they can participate in science.