STEM skills—from computer programming to bioengineering—are the bedrock of the 21st century economy.
Not all students have a high-quality STEM education, which can limit their post-secondary learning and career options. EDC works to improve the quality, effectiveness, and equity of STEM learning and teaching, giving all students a solid foundation in computer science and creating pathways to STEM careers for students from underrepresented groups, students from low-income families, and English learners.
We develop STEM curricula, digital games, and apps that engage, excite, and challenge students, aiming to foster and use technology for robust STEM experiences. And through national resource centers and collaborative research, we guide STEM research and program design.
Learn about EDC’s work with Family STEM Communities.
Related Content
Tackling Inequity in the Mathematics Classroom
EDC’s Babette Moeller and Matt McLeod discuss their efforts to make mathematics teaching more equitable.
EDC Talks: STEM Education in Rural Schools
In this video, Pam Buffington discusses how to enrich STEM learning in rural communities.
A New Language for Mathematics
Young children often struggle to write down their mathematical ideas. Could computer programming be an easier language for them?
EDC Talks: Making Time for Family Math
What are some fun, easy activities that families can do to encourage math learning at home? (Hint: You are probably already doing some of them.)
Tapping, Swiping, and Learning Science
Research findings on The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!™ have implications for parents, educators, and educational media developers.
Projects
Resources
Here are a few of our resources on STEM. To see more, visit our Resources section.
In this study, EDC and SRI researchers explored how time spent viewing and playing with PBS KIDS educational, noncommercial media can benefit young children’s learning, especially those growing up
What does it mean to be data literate in the world of “big data”? What should we teach students to better prepare them to participate in our workforce and society? This report answers these questions and shares takeaways from a three-day workshop led by EDC and IBM, "Building Global Interest in Data Literacy: A Dialogue."
This report offers research-backed guidelines to support designers of big data interfaces for education.
This toolkit links parents to a wide array of resources—including “fast facts,” fun family activities, and scholarship info—to prepare children and youth to thrive in our wired world and its workplaces.
This white paper draws upon the results of a survey of 850 career and technical education (CTE) educators nationwide, 11 interviews with CTE state leaders, and recent literature to provide a panora
This annotated bibliography features a “starter set” of key research reports, practice briefs, policy papers, and tools to inform efforts to strengthen elementary science in schools and communities.
This executive summary captures the results of the National Survey on Supporting Struggling Mathematics Learners in the Middle Grades, a study designed and conducted by EDC.
The Possible Worlds website offers free digital games and instructional resources to help middle school science teachers address students’ persistent misconceptions.
Inspiring Climate Action Now (ICAN) demonstrates the power of investment in science as a foundational skill set in low-resource contexts. In transforming primary science instruction, ICAN addresses gaps that limit later STEM opportunities for marginalized learners and motivates local action to respond to climate change. This brief introduces the ICAN initiative in Mali, Zambia, and Antigua & Barbuda.
This report shares findings from EDC’s evaluation study of Cha-Ching Money Adventures.