Strategies for Brokering Future Learning Opportunities in an Out-of-School STEM Program for Middle School Girls

To encourage sustained participation in computing fields among women and underrepresented groups, this paper explores "brokering" which involves connecting youth to people, resources, and programs which may be available in their local communities. We collaborated with mentors from a 16-week out-of-school STEM program for middle school girls around the shared goal of encouraging continued participation in STEM activities after completion of the program. Using a design research approach, we examine how to foster intentional brokering by integrating mentor strategies throughout a program. For program leaders, researchers, and designers of informal computing programs motivated by the goal of broadening participation among populations that are underrepresented, the contribution of this paper is a case example of intentional brokering, with specific strategies that can be further developed and adapted by others. Our results have implications for program-level design, data-driven approaches, as well as for larger-scale efforts to build connected learning opportunities across multiple settings in a community.