Findings (as of July 2026)

Aim 1

Total sites responded: 82, representing 77 individual programs

Question: Type of Institution (Select all that apply)

	N
Science Center	18
Natural History Museum	9
Children’s Museum	5
Zoo or Aquarium	18
Botanical Garden or Arboretum	6
University Affiliated Museum	3
Community-Based Organization	12
Public Institution/Government Affiliated Group	14
Other Informal Learning Site	18

Question: How many full-time employees does your site have?  

Number of Employees
Level	Count	Proportion
Under 20	27	0.370
20-74	12	0.164
75+	34	0.466

Question: We are interested in learning more about barriers your site faces to the intensive youth STEM programs you offer. Rate how challenging each recruitment barrier is: 

Recruitment Barriers
			95% Confidence Interval
Recruitment Barriers	Mean	SE	Lower	Upper
Application complexity/eligibility criteria	1.81	0.128	1.56	2.06
Competing youth obligations (caregiving, jobs)	2.92	0.129	2.67	3.17
Digital access (devices/Wi-Fi)	1.57	0.128	1.32	1.82
Documentation or consent requirements	1.82	0.129	1.57	2.08
Language access	1.89	0.129	1.63	2.14
Limited awareness among intended audiences/marketing reach	2.71	0.128	2.46	2.97
Need for stipends/financial incentives	3.05	0.129	2.79	3.30
Program times conflict with work/school/sports	2.52	0.129	2.26	2.77
Transportation Access	2.92	0.129	2.67	3.17
Trust/relationship building with communities	2.03	0.128	1.78	2.28

Note: 1 = Not at All Challenging to 5 = Very Challenging

Question: Rate how challenging each program delivery barrier is: 

Barriers to Programming
			95% Confidence Interval
Barriers to Programming	Mean	SE	Lower	Upper
Accessibility & accommodations	2.10	0.141	1.82	2.37
Administrative burden (procurement, HR, legal)	2.38	0.140	2.11	2.65
Consistent funding/sustainability	3.19	0.140	2.92	3.46
Evaluation capacity & data use	2.38	0.140	2.11	2.65
Materials/equipment costs & maintenance	2.35	0.141	2.08	2.63
Partnership coordination with schools/CBOs	2.29	0.141	2.01	2.57
Safety/risk management (labs/fieldwork)	1.68	0.141	1.40	1.95
Space/facilities constraints	2.44	0.141	2.16	2.71
Staff training for inclusive & trauma-informed facilitation	2.26	0.141	1.98	2.53
Staffing capacity/turnover	2.55	0.141	2.27	2.82

  Note: 1 = Not at All Challenging to 5 = Very Challenging

Question: We would like to understand more about the goals, mission and motivations for your program. Which institutional priorities does this program support? (Select all that apply) 

Institutional Priorities for Programs

Descriptives
	N
Broadening Participant in STEM	66
Community Engagement/Civic Mission	43
Youth Development/Workforce Development	61
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging	51
Institutional priorities around education	49
Research and evaluation priorities	8
Alignment with funder goals	20
Other Institutional Priorities	5

Note: Total # of Programs Represented = 77

Question: What are the outcomes that your program is designed to achieve? (Select all that apply) 

Program Outcomes
	N
Increase science knowledge and skills	58
Increase technology knowledge and skills	37
Increase engineering knowledge and skills	32
Increase math knowledge and skills	23
Increase social or soft skills	58
Foster STEM career interest	71
Increase research skills	25
Increase science communication or teaching skills	42
Increase awareness of environmental issues	38
Foster sense of belonging in STEM	59
Build knowledge of varied STEM career pathways/debunk the STEM career pipeline metaphor	55
Increase or support STEM identity	52
Other	9

Question: How many participants are enrolled in this program right now? And What is the maximum capacity for this program in terms of number of participants per cohort?  Number of Participants
	Mean	Median	SD	Minimum	Maximum
Number of Participants Enrolled Now	344	33.0	1325	0.0	10000
Maximum Capacity Per Cohort	195	33.0	632	10.0	5000

Question: Participants of which ages are served in this program? (Select all that apply) 

Ages Served
Age in Years	N
13	38
14	60
15	63
16	66
17	67
18	58
Other	17

Question: What are the criteria for participants to join the program? (Select all that apply) 

Program Selection Criteria
	N
Grades/GPA	5
Historically Underserved Populations	16
STEM Interest	40
Teacher Recommendation	12
Live in a Specific Region	17
Commit to Program Requirements	43
No requirements/Just Registration	33
Other	10

Question: Which, if any, historically underserved populations does the program target? (Select all that apply) 

Historically Underserved Populations Targeted
	N
Girls	35
Gender Expansive	26
Low Family Income	42
Students in a particular school	34
Students Referred Through a Particular Community Organization	17
Limited Access to STEM mentors/programs outside of school	26
First generation to potentially attend college	21
Disability	10
Other	9
This program does not target historically underserved students	14

Question: What are the priorities for acceptance? (Select all that apply) Selection Priorities
	N
High GPA	2
Low GPA	1
Counselor/School Recommendation	12
Community Organization Recommendation	7
Younger Teens	2
Older Teens	10
Limited Access to STEM mentors/programs	13
STEM Interest or STEM Career Interest	36
No priorities/Just registration	34
Other	16

Question: How do you recruit for this program? (Select all that apply) 

Recruitment Methods
	N
Community Organization Partners	43
Schools or Counselors	55
Faith-Based Organizations	4
Former Participants	46
Social Media Posts	40
Listservs	14
Site Publications	30
Other	12

Question: Who makes selection decisions? (Select all that apply) 

Who Makes Selection
	N
Program Leadership	50
Site Leadership	6
Advisory Board	1
Program Alums	1
No selection process	27
Other	7

Question: What is your selection process? (Select all that apply) 

Selection Approach
	N
Application	46
Teacher/School Nomination	5
Individual Interview	20
Group Interview	11
No Selection Process, Registration is Open to All	29
Other	6

Question: How many hours at a minimum are participants engaged with this program (include all contact hours, including waking hours with programming for a residential program)? 

Program Duration
	N	Mean	SD	Minimum	Maximum
Hours Per Day	59	5.07	3.54	0.00	16.00
Hours Per Week	65	19.01	21.29	0.00	112.00
Days Per Week	65	3.26	1.93	0.00	7.00
Weeks Per Year	66	14.45	15.00	0.00	52.00
Years Maximum	64	3.14	2.27	1.00	10.00
Total Hours Maximum	61	230.47	335.11	4.00	2000.00

Question: What options for continued engagement exist? (Select all that apply)  Opportunities for Continued Engagement
	N
Apply to join a different program	31
Become a volunteer	41
Apply for a paid position	45
Engage with alumni network (e.g., via a LinkedIn group)	21
Other	9
None	10

Question: Does your program currently track outcomes? 

Track Outcomes Currently?
Response	Count	Proportion
Yes	40	0.519
No	19	0.247
Not currently, but planning to begin	10	0.130
Unsure	8	0.104

Question: When do you measure these outcomes? (Select all that apply) 

Post Program Outcome Tracking
	N
Pre-Program	21
During the program (formative checkpoints)	23
Immediate Post-Program	33
3–6 Months after Program	1
1-3 years after program	8
Longer-term follow-up (3+ years)	8
Other	5

Question: Which of the following types of outcomes do you track? (Select all that apply) 

Outcomes Tracked
	N
STEM content knowledge	16
STEM interest/engagement	34
STEM self-efficacy	20
STEM career interest/intent	27
Social-emotional learning	13
21st century skills	12
Sense of belonging	25
Identity in STEM	30
College Readiness	13
Comfort on a College Campus	6
Workforce readiness / professional skills	17
Knowledge of STEM career pathways	16
Exposure to new and/or impactful experiences	24
Civic engagement or community-oriented outcomes	10
Alumni persistence in STEM after program completion	10
Other	3

Question: How is this program funded? (Select all that apply.) 

How Are the Programs Funded?
	N
Participants pay to attend	30
Funding from within the general institutional budget	36
Funding from our institutional donors	37
Government funding	14
Non-government (e.g., foundation) funding	33
Other	11

Question: What percentage of participants would be considered first generation to attend college (if they go on to attend college)? 

What percent of the participants are first generation?
Level	Count	Proportion
Unsure	40	0.5263
0-10%	6	0.0789
11-25%	13	0.1711
26-50%	7	0.0921
51-75%	7	0.0921
76-100%	3	0.0395

Question: In what year did this program begin? 

What year did the program start?
	Year Start
N	76
Missing	1
Mean	2009
Median	2010
Standard deviation	14.8
Minimum	1969
Maximum	2026

Question: How many cohorts of participants have gone through the program?  And How many total participants have been enrolled in this program since its first iteration? (Please provide an estimate if you are unsure of the exact number) 

How many Cohorts and Total Participants?
	Cohorts	Total Participants
N	67	71
Missing	10	6
Mean	16.5	3874
Median	15.0	320
Standard deviation	13.8	12194
Minimum	0.00	0.00
Maximum	54.0	85000