Student learning outside the formal classroom is inextricably linked to informal learning environments. In many countries, most activities that employ informal learning prioritize the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and have shown a positive impact on increasing students' interest, self-efficacy,…

Canada has a long history of outdoor education (OE) in sectors including summer camps, K-12, and post-secondary education (PSE). However, previous research has demonstrated that OE is sometimes poorly understood in the PSE sector leading to program closures and limited program development. As a result, scholars have called for national and…

This anthology shares educational practices to engage young people in critical digital media consumption and production. Comprehensive frameworks and teaching guidance enable educators to empower students to use digital technologies to respond to the social, political, economic, and other critical issues in their real-life and online communities.…

There are many resources to guide successful K-12 cybersecurity education. The objective of these resources is to prepare skilled and ethical cybersecurity students at the earliest level to meet the demands of higher-level programs. The goal of this article is to provide, as a starting point, a list of as many currently popular K-12 educational…

In this critical case study, we examined the ways civic culture developed at an action civics summer camp and provided implications for civics teaching and learning. Findings highlight how the camp context produced and simultaneously failed to yield a culturally participatory inclusive civic culture. Specifically, we found the emphasis on…

Taking advantage of the possibilities for learning outside of school requires us to build on what we know about why it is so hard to sustain and scale up unconventional educational experiences within conventional schools. To illustrate the opportunities and challenges, Thomas Hatch describes a large-scale approach to project-based learning…

Science camps for teachers have been held in Chile for several years and are recognized as important opportunities for continuing education, but they have been largely ignored as instances for impactful reflection on teacher self-assessment and identity. This article presents the analysis of teacher experiences at a science camp held in southern…

The Yuan T. Lee Foundation Science Education for All (YTLF) has implemented a science camp for students with visual impairments in central Taiwan since 2009. The implementation of the camp serves as an informal science education practice model that informs curriculum design and development, personnel preparation and organization, as well as…

The inclusion of engineering in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as a key component of K-12 science learning has provided both opportunities and challenges for elementary teachers. One challenge is integrating the design thinking processes that undergird engineering with core science concepts and current issues facing scientists and…

In this paper we build a conceptual framework to argue for culturally compelling instruction that leads to teaching for change. Culturally compelling instruction calls for a substantive shift in how teachers view their students, communities, and what the perspective might mean for students' future when they have access to alternative learning…

The move to virtual schooling and other measures to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection dramatically changed the educational experience for grades K-12 populations during the years 2020 and 2021. STEM teaching and learning, and community partnerships focused on STEM education, were not exempt from the changes. Universities and other…

Intentional integration of knowledge from both K-12 practice and teacher preparation theories supports emerging teacher educators' hybrid identity development. In this collaborative self-study, three teacher educators reflected upon the negotiation of tensions that arose in their efforts to promote culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy…

In the first learning community session since last summer's programs, foundation staff at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving in Connecticut invite providers to share their news. "What worked? What challenges did you see?" Seasoned providers highlight field trips taken, books introduced, newsletters crafted by youth and shared with…

Austin Independent School District served more than 13,000 students in summer programs during 2009, providing opportunities for accelerated learning, maintenance of academic skills between school years, course credit recovery, state achievement tests, or school-level transition activities. This report summarizes this information.