Move Over STEM: STSE Moves In with Community-Centered Design for Learning

Outline

Outline: 5-Minute Poster Presentation

Minute 0–1 | Welcome and Orientation
Introduce the session title: Move Over STEM: STSE Moves In with Community Centered Design for Learning. Briefly define STSE (Science, Technology, Society, and Environment) and explain how it differs from STEM. STEM emphasizes the how through tools and technical skills, while STSE emphasizes the why by connecting learning to purpose, community, and environment.
Point to the poster layout: global project snapshots with photos, short descriptions, and QR codes linking to student work and teacher perspectives.

Minute 1–3 | Walking Through the Poster
Highlight project snapshots: redesigned civic centers, reimagined landmarks, pollinator pathways, community zoos, and economic hubs.
Emphasize how students used STSE and Community Centered Design for Learning to connect identity, voice, and belonging to authentic issues.
Draw attention to the hands-on table where attendees can explore sample tools: modeling materials (cardboard connectors, craft items), robotics, and mobile-device friendly tech tools such as QR-linked videos, digital storytelling, or coding platforms. Encourage participants to play together with these materials during or after the walkthrough.

Minute 3–4 | Pedagogy and Standards Connections
Use poster callouts to show how research, modeling, coding, and storytelling connect with standards in math (measurement, budgeting) and literacy (persuasive writing, synthesis).
Explain how the poster demonstrates rigor and relevance by rooting standards in authentic student inquiry and community contexts.

Minute 4–5 | Takeaways and Q&A
Point to the poster’s final section with educator resources, including QR codes for lesson frameworks, adaptable projects, and digital tools.

Emphasize that educators leave motivated, with practical strategies and resources to adapt projects to their own goals and standards.

Free "play" - o67Invite attendees to continue exploring the hands-on table, trying the tools themselves, and asking questions in an informal Q&A.

Outcomes

1. evaluate how Community Centered Design for Learning and STSE projects align with STEM, math, and literacy standards while also addressing cultural, social, and emotional needs. Leaders will identify strategies for supporting educators in weaving technology such as robotics, digital storytelling, and collaborative platforms into curriculum frameworks, ensuring that these tools broaden access and equity.

2. plan ways to embed professional learning that helps teachers adapt community design projects to meet district goals while maintaining flexibility to reflect the voices and needs of their own school communities.

3. design lessons that use research, modeling, coding, and digital storytelling about students’ own communities to meet content standards while deepening identity, amplifying voice, and fostering ownership. Educators will implement a deliberate design process that connects authentic community issues with skills such as measurement, budgeting, and persuasive writing, ensuring academic rigor alongside personal meaning.

4. adapt these projects for different grade levels and settings by integrating multiple entry points, from hands on construction to robotics to multimedia presentations, creating inclusive pathways that engage and empower all learners.

Supporting research

•Zhang, L., Ma, Y., & Chen, L. (2023). A study of the impact of project-based learning on student learning effects: A meta-analysis study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1202728. Meta-analysis across global studies shows that PBL significantly improves academic achievement, higher-order thinking, and student engagement. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202728

Lucas Education Research. (2021). Project-Based Learning leads to gains in science and other subjects in middle school and benefits all learners. Lucas Education Research. Large-scale U.S. studies confirm that PBL boosts learning outcomes across demographics, supporting its value for equity and inclusion. https://www.lucasedresearch.org/publication/project-based-learning-leads-to-gains-in-science-and-other-subjects-in-middle-school-and-benefits-all-learners/

Sánchez-García, R., & Reyes-de-Cózar, S. (2025). Enhancing project-based learning: A framework for optimizing structural design and implementation—A systematic review with a sustainable focus. Sustainability, 17(11), 4978. Systematic review emphasizes that structuring PBL around sustainability strengthens both academic rigor and relevance to real-world contexts. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114978

Hicks, B., & Barrera, D. (2018). Community engagement and community-based projects in architecture studios. National Conference on the Beginning Design Student Proceedings, 34, 75–82. Demonstrates how community-driven design projects connect student learning with civic issues, fostering identity, agency, and social responsibility. https://journals.uc.edu/index.php/ncbds/article/view/848