Children participating in Creek Week in North Carolina making observations and recording data outdoors

STEM Learning Ecosystems

Museums, libraries, schools, and many other community organizations offer programs and environments that are specially designed for lifelong learning. STEM learning ecosystems bring these organizations together to support learning throughout a lifetime: at home, at school, at work, and in the community.

Informal STEM learning is fun—and important.

Research shows that informal learning settings are particularly good at sparking interest and motivation to participate in STEM activities, and at helping learners develop an identity as someone who knows about and uses STEM. Both in and out of school, learners can practice scientific reasoning, use engineering design thinking, and understand fundamental STEM concepts.

STEM Learning Ecosystem generalized example in context displaying the words culture, society and place

STEM learning ecosystems create pathways for learners from initial interest through the development of an identity as a science learner, and, in some cases, pursuit of a STEM career.

“

We always start with the question, ‘How is this changing or helping the people that we’re ultimately looking to serve?’ Find out what the community wants and what you have, then you can find better collaboration ideas.

CHRIS GUERRA

Arizona State Library

Professional Learning Resources

What are STEM Learning Ecosystem video Introductory title slide

STEM Learning Ecosystems Videos

Professional learning video series designed to introduce STEM Learning Ecosystems.

STEM Learning Ecosystems Project Overview

Project overview one-page summary for the STEM Learning Ecosystems project.

STEM Learning Ecosystems Illustrations

Illustrations of generalized examples of STEM Learning Ecosystems highlighting the relationships between people and organizations.

STEM Learning Ecosystems drawing activity with a pair of hands holding up a tree template drawing

Depict Your Partnership

Professional learning activity that provides groups an opportunity to visualize, reflect on, and share key aspects of public engagement programs and partnerships.

What is Learning Conversation Starter

Cards to spark conversations about what learning looks like.

Collage of What Values Do You Share cards to spark conversations

What Values Do You Share? Conversation Starter

Cards to spark conversations about shared values.

STEM Learning Ecosystems Postcard

Promotional postcard for the STEM Learning Ecosystems project resources.

Online Workshop Recording: Introduction to STEM Learning Ecosystems - Principles and Practices for Community-wide Partnerships (2025)

Online workshop recording providing an introduction to some of the practices and principles for engaging in community-wide partnerships (2025).

Online Workshop Recording: Museum Experiences Participating in STEM Learning Ecosystems (2025)

Online workshop recording featuring shared stories from NISE Network partners about their experiences engaging with their local STEM Learning Ecosystems (2025).

Online Workshop Recording: Creating Relevant and Meaningful STEM Experiences (2025)

Online workshop recording highlighting some of the principles of relevance in STEM, partner experiences in co-creation, and successful strategies for place-based learning in STEM ecosystems (2025).

Online Workshop Recording: Museums Share Experiences Participating in STEM Learning Ecosystems (2026)

Online workshop recording about NISE Network partner museums and their experiences participating in their local STEM learning ecosystems. (2026)

STEM Learning Ecosystems Project

In partnership with NASA's Science Activation community, STEM Learning Ecosystems is investigating the principles and practices that can help these intentional community-wide partnerships succeed.

STEM Learning Ecosystems Logos

A set of logos and promotional materials for STEM Learning Ecosystems including logos, colors, and graphics in multiple formats.

More Resources

STEM Ecosystems Initiative
https://stemecosystems.org
Find a STEM Learning Ecosystem map
https://stemecosystems.org/ecosystems/
What Is a STEM Learning Ecosystem? By Bronwyn Bevan, Cecilia Garibay, and Sunshine Menezes

Collaboration Resources

Collaborations

NISE Network encourages partnerships among museums, universities, and other organizations that support lifelong STEM learning. By collaborating, we can leverage our complementary strengths and resources and achieve outcomes we couldn't do alone!

Working with STEM Experts Guide cover including an image of expert puring a liquid and using a strainer with a girl and her family at a museum public event

Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings

Professional development guide to help informal STEM educators find, prepare, and work with STEM experts to engage with the public.

Learners putting together a carbon nanotube model

Development Process

NISE Network materials are informed by data and expertise and improved through use and experience. We use an iterative, collaborative development process that involves educators, subject matter experts, learners, and evaluator/researchers. Our products are designed to be flexible and adaptable, to meet the needs of our partner organizations.

cover of the collaboration guide on blue background

Museum & Community Partnerships: Collaboration Guide and additional resources

Professional development guide for educators, researchers, and network leaders from the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network

Museum & Community Partnerships

Explore Science: Zoom into Nano resources are designed to facilitate new or expanded collaborations between museums and other local community partners to engage underserved audiences in learning about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.

STEM learning ecosystems create pathways for learners from initial interest through the development of an identity as a science learner, and, in some cases, pursuit of a STEM career.

STEM Learning Pathways

Educator Holds a Rover Model as Two Youth Listen and Learn More

STEM Career Pathways

A collection of resources including mentoring and role models, fostering STEM identity and belonging, STEM workforce, and annual events.

Publications and Reports

SciAct STEM Ecosystems Summative Evaluation Report - Executive Summary April 2026 page 1

SciAct STEM Ecosystems Summative Evaluation (2026)

Summative evaluation report for the SciAct STEM Ecosystems project.

Implementing Culturally Responsive Evaluation Methods: Reflections on Challenges to Traditional Understandings of Power, Validity, and Rigor journal publication

Visitor Studies Journal article about culturally responsive evaluation methods.