STEM skills—from computer programming to bioengineering—are the bedrock of the 21st century economy.
Not all students have a high-quality STEM education, which can limit their post-secondary learning and career options. EDC works to improve the quality, effectiveness, and equity of STEM learning and teaching, giving all students a solid foundation in computer science and creating pathways to STEM careers for students from underrepresented groups, students from low-income families, and English learners.
We develop STEM curricula, digital games, and apps that engage, excite, and challenge students, aiming to foster and use technology for robust STEM experiences. And through national resource centers and collaborative research, we guide STEM research and program design.
Learn about EDC’s work with Family STEM Communities.
Related Content
Tackling Inequity in the Mathematics Classroom
EDC’s Babette Moeller and Matt McLeod discuss their efforts to make mathematics teaching more equitable.
EDC Talks: STEM Education in Rural Schools
In this video, Pam Buffington discusses how to enrich STEM learning in rural communities.
A New Language for Mathematics
Young children often struggle to write down their mathematical ideas. Could computer programming be an easier language for them?
EDC Talks: Making Time for Family Math
What are some fun, easy activities that families can do to encourage math learning at home? (Hint: You are probably already doing some of them.)
Tapping, Swiping, and Learning Science
Research findings on The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!™ have implications for parents, educators, and educational media developers.
Projects
Resources
Here are a few of our resources on STEM. To see more, visit our Resources section.
Inspiring Climate Action Now (ICAN) demonstrates the power of investment in science as a foundational skill set in low-resource contexts. In transforming primary science instruction, ICAN addresses gaps that limit later STEM opportunities for marginalized learners and motivates local action to respond to climate change. This brief introduces the ICAN initiative in Mali, Zambia, and Antigua & Barbuda.
This fact sheet describes the importance of equity in STEM education.
This robust website includes video-based case studies of six girls as they investigate what it means to be a scientist or engineer.
This resource library contains reports, evaluations, and toolkits produced by Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE) partners and principal investigators with DR K–12 grant
Written for program directors, program managers, educators, and others responsible for developing and implementing STEM programs in schools and community-based organizations, this guide seeks to re
A free online civics curriculum and teacher toolkit, SRVCE blends civic inquiry, media literacy education, and exploration of public service careers to prepare students to be activ
This report presents the results of a first-of-its-kind national survey of parents, who were asked about the types of early science educational activities they do with their young children.
This report presents detailed descriptions of five guidelines for schools and districts to consider as they draw upon interactive mobile technologies to promote students’ mathematical thinking.
In this study, EDC and SRI researchers explored how time spent viewing and playing with PBS KIDS educational, noncommercial media can benefit young children’s learning, especially those growing up
This is the executive summary of a report that describes the proceedings from the first State-Federal STEM Summit, held June 2018 in Washington, D.C.