How does a policy of free tuition affect student applications to universities? This article assesses how free tuition influences applications in terms of the selectivity of the university, length of the degree program, cost of the program, and application to a program in the STEM field. The study based on a quasi-experimental design was carried…

There are numerous interventions worldwide targeting young people's participation in STEM. While gender imbalance seems to be a focus of many of these interventions, it is not clear how many specifically target females, and from those that do, what their characteristics and strengths are. We address this gap in the existing literature by…

Long standing debate surrounds the position that Design and Technology holds in the English and Welsh national curriculum. Some commentators espouse alignment with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as its natural home, whilst others argue that this stifles creativity and takes no account of the 'designerly' nature they…

The report "Time for a Game-Changing Summer, With Opportunity and Growth for All of America's Youth," finds that as participation in summer programs prior to the pandemic was on an upwards trajectory, there remained a significant number of children missing out. For every child in a summer learning program in 2019, another would have been…

This report aims to provide a current picture of the afterschool and summer program experience for children and families in rural America, using data from the most recent America After 3PM study. Building off findings from the previous 2009 and 2014 America After 3PM studies, "Spiking Demand, Growing Barriers: The Trends Shaping Afterschool…

This is the executive summary for the report "Spiking Demand, Growing Barriers: The Trends Shaping Afterschool and Summer Learning in Rural Communities," which aims to provide a current picture of the afterschool and summer program experience for children and families in rural America, using data from the most recent America After 3PM…

In 2000 several STEM faculty at Bethel College in Kansas designed and began offering a one-week intensive residential summer research experience for high school students--the Bethel College Summer Science Institute. The core idea underlying the design was to motivate students through the excitement of discovery. This event has been offered…

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) recognizes the role that its Comprehensive After School System (COMPASS) programs can play in supporting the educational success of youth, including literacy development. Since 2011, DYCD has required COMPASS programs to offer at least two hours a week of either literacy or…

Apprenticeships are currently undergoing reform in England. Funding mechanisms and the content of Apprenticeship programmes are being restructured. NFER and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) have carried out a joint research project to inform future policy and practice with evidence on how providers of Apprenticeships are…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is intended to provide students with a cross-subject, contextual learning experience. To more fully prepare our nation's students to enter the globally competitive workforce, STEM integration allows students to make connections between the abstract concepts learned in core subject…

The "America After 3PM" survey is the nation's most comprehensive household survey of how children spend the hours after school and asks parents and guardians of school-age children in the United States a number of questions about availability and access to afterschool programs. In addition to asking for information about afterschool…

The "America After 3PM" survey is the nation's most comprehensive household survey of how children spend the hours after school and asks parents and guardians of school-age children in the United States a number of questions about availability and access to afterschool programs. In addition to asking for information about afterschool…

In an effort to identify and incorporate exemplary practices into existing and future afterschool programs, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned a large-scale evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) program. The purpose of this evaluation project was to develop resources and professional development that addresses…