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Informal Science Education and Interest Development

According to the National Research Council, one of the drivers of inequity in STEM education is the lack of access to STEM learning experiences that provide the foundational background knowledge and skills necessary for students to engage successfully in college-level STEM coursework and to foster a sense of belonging in STEM (3). In other words, one of the reasons why some groups of students may seem more interested and motivated to pursue STEM coursework at the university level is simply because they have had more opportunities to engage meaningfully with STEM research and projects.