Democratic STEM Teaching means student voices are centered and amplified in the classroom. Students' funds of knowledge shape the classroom environment, curriculum choices, and pedagogical practices. Teachers are facilitators who share authority; STEM students are not simply vessels to be filled, but co-designers of the learning environment. We want all STEM students to become critical thinkers who define problems and design solutions, ultimately creating a more just world.  
 

The Democratic STEM Teaching Framework (DSTF) is our secret sauce, but we proudly display it so that all STEM teachers can start thinking about how they might democratize their STEM classrooms. STEM Ed strives to #STEMTheDivide so that all students - especially the historically marginalized and oppressed - have access to a high-quality STEM education and the career opportunities that follow.

 

STEM Ed doesn't stop at classrooms. We're trying to change how the entire STEM teacher development pipeline functions. Redesigning STEM education with the DSTF in mind - from pre-service STEM teacher training to STEM teacher leadership - is a critical step towards granting future generations full participation in the world of STEM.

 

Here's our view of how this more just version of STEM happens with the DSTF: