A very basic way to look at youth experiences in summer science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Informal STEM Learning (ISL) programs is to describe how time is used within the programs. We describe time use in two general ways: the types of activities in which youth were engaged and the settings in which the activities took place.
Findings about activity settings from the STEM Interest and Engagement (IE) research study include descriptions of how much time was spent in different activities and settings as well as youth’s reported experiences within various activity settings. Practical ideas and exemplars based on these findings for how activity leaders (ALs) can maximize youth experience within activity settings are presented and described. Resources for learning about youth activity settings include professional development materials for use with groups and self-study materials. We provide a section that includes general resources and further reading for those who would like to read and learn more about activity settings and time use in ISL programs for youth.
