Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab proposes to build the capacity of public librarians in facilitating and delivering STEM programming. The project will help library professionals design STEM learning programs that emphasize equity and inclusion and feel better prepared to facilitate these experiences. The project is leveraging the pedagogy of creative learning - an approach that enables library professionals to take on the responsibilities and practices of STEM facilitation without requiring them to become technical domain experts - to deliver in-person and online workshops, foster an online community of practice, and build capacity for 300 library professionals to implement creative STEM programming in their communities. All project resources and materials will be disseminated widely and published as open-access resources, enabling reuse and adaptation. The activities of this project will not only build capacity in the field of library professionals to implement creative learning programming in their libraries but also increase access to engaging STEM learning opportunities for library patrons.