STEM Programs for Girls: Making Them Last

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify and describe the ways successful, informal STEM programs are sustained. This qualitative study included semi-structured interviews with five professionals who work or worked directly with the programmatic aspects of six individual successful, long term STEM programs for girls. Various documents were obtained to provide context. There is little research that focuses on sustainability but the results of this research aligned with a previous study where the researchers attempted to apply a sustainability framework from formal education. Several themes emerged which suggests that sustainability is not based on one factor but based on a constellation of factors and should be thought of sequentially as well as collectively in order for them to support each other. This suggest that when professionals are developing programs, while not only planning for the success of the program, they should integrate factors that specifically look at sustainability.