Perspectives on Community STEM: Learning from Partnerships between Scientists, Researchers, and Youth

Given our rapidly changing world and the pressing challenges of climate change and health care, it is more important than ever for youth and the broader public to learn scientific knowledge and skills. To reach the most people possible and increase diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, we need compelling educational approaches that incorporate the lived experiences of students. Partnerships between researchers, scientists, educators, and community groups can enrich and extend scientists’ research while providing authentic scientific learning experiences for undergraduate and K-12 students, especially from STEM-underrepresented groups. However, more research is needed on equitable long-term partnerships, including how these projects are organized and how partners align their interests and goals. In this article, we present recommendations from research–practice partnership projects that utilize a Community STEM model, an approach that draws from individual and collective strengths, contextualizes science learning, and positions youth as producers of content and artifacts. To situate this work, we review and highlight biology-related citizen and community science projects designed for youth. We characterize projects according to their goals and format, provide illustrative examples of three programs, and provide recommendations for other scientists and researchers. Overall, this article reviews research on all three approaches for partnerships (citizen science, community science, and community STEM) to provide recommendations for scientists who are interested in establishing partnerships within their communities. Limitations of each approach are described as well as areas for further research.