Marsha L. Semmel (2015)
“Collective Impact” and STEM Learning: Joining Forces to Make a Difference in Communities
Principal, Marsha Semmel Consulting

*Presented at the 2015 Public Libraries & STEM Conference. View Conference Program

Today, policy makers, funders, and government agencies alike are grappling with the need to use resources efficiently and effectively in order to make a measurable difference in addressing some of today’s pressing significant social, cultural, and educational challenges. When dealing with such “wicked problems” as domestic abuse, health and nutrition, poverty, educational achievement, and STEM learning, it’s not enough for an organization to deliver results that contribute only to its bottom line. Increasingly, authorizers and supporters are promoting a “collective impact” approach that moves beyond individual organizational effectiveness to foster (and even require) multi-organization collaboration to drive systemic change. This presentation describes collective impact and its evolution in the policy, philanthropic, and programmatic arenas, with a specific focus on STEM learning. When is it appropriate to use a collective impact approach? What are some examples of STEM-related collective impact efforts, including those involving libraries? What types of STEM-relevant collective impact ‘metrics’ and evaluation strategies have been developed, and what are the implications for libraries engaging the STEM arena?

Kathleen Traphagen (2018)
From Niche to Necessary: Scale and Sustainability Lessons from the Frontiers in Urban Science Education (FUSE) Initiative
Every Hour Counts

Every Hour Counts, a network of city-wide afterschool systems, published research findings on the FUSE initiative, a project whose goal is to increase access to student-centers STEM learning. The report includes data on the impact of the initiative in four cities (Providence, New York, Boston, and Nashville) and lessons learned around scaling and sustaining STEM programs in urban areas. Also included are policy, research, and practice recommendations for cities and regions to embed STEM learning across settings – in-school and out of school –  in their own approaches.

Afterschool Alliance (2017)
Library and Afterschool Partnerships

This report from the Afterschool Alliance highlights how afterschool programs and public libraries are working together to provide learning opportunities for students. Surveying the field, the report found that libraries and afterschool programs partner in a multitude of ways, but more growth can happen surrounding partnerships for STEM learning.

Afterschool Alliance (2016)
How Afterschool-library Partnerships are Engaging Kids in STEM

This blog from the Afterschool Alliance highlights the work of the Ypsilanti District Library engaging their community and youth with the STAR Net library exhibits.

Bronwyn Bevan, University of Washington) & Jean J. Ryoo, Exploratorium (2016)
Making as a Strategy for Afterschool STEM Learning

This report from the Research + Practice Collaboratory and its accompanying case studies are the result of a three-year research-practice partnership, and features a cross-case analysis of what made different making-focused programs successful, what supports they needed to succeed, and what obstacles they tended to encounter along the way. The partnership also produced a set of tools that can be found at www.exploratorium.edu/ctan and www.researchandpractice.org.

NISE Net: Catherine McCarthy and Brad Herring (2015)
Collaboration Guide: For museums working with community youth-serving organizations

Amy K. Garmer (2014)
Rising to the Challenge: Re-envisioning Public Libraries 
The Aspen Institute

Visit our Community Dialogues website

The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation (2015)
Libraries Transforming Communities: A step-by-step guide to “turning outward” to your community.