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Convocation on the Status of Informal Science and Engineering Education

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In 2025, the National Academies brought together more than 400 researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders to discuss the latest developments in the field of informal science and engineering education. Participants representing a wide variety of informal learning settings reflected on the impacts of the 2009 National Academies’ report, Learning Science in Informal Environments, and how the field has evolved since then. Participants highlighted successes and challenges to providing informal science and engineering learning experiences to learners of all ages and backgrounds and identified potential next steps for research, practice, and policy to enhance the reach and effectiveness of the field.

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Description

A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a 2-day convocation to bring together experts to discuss the status of informal science and engineering education. The sessions will bring together the research, practice, and policy communities to consider the impact of the National Academies Learning Science in Informal Environments (2009) report, reflect on trends in the field since the report’s release, and identify promising directions forward. The convocation will explore questions such as:

  • What have been some of the biggest impacts of the National Academies report?
  • Where has the field seen the most growth? What innovations or new developments are most exciting?
  • What new insights about learning science and engineering in informal environments have emerged?
  • What are the most exciting emerging directions for the field in practice and in research?
  • What are the gaps in research and practice?
  • What are the highest priority next steps for research and practice?

A proceedings of the workshop, summarizing the presentations and discussions, will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.

Contributors

Committee

Chair

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Tiffany Taylor

Staff Officer

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Sponsors

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Overdeck Family Foundation

Staff

Tiffany E. Taylor

Lead

Lauren Ryan

Lucy Oliveros

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