STEM U.N.I.T.Y.: UPLIFTING NON-DOMINANT VOICES IN TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND YOUTH STEM SPACES FOR BLACK GIRLS THROUGH ANTIRACIST PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES

The lack of intentional professional development for STEM stakeholders and culturally relevant STEM spaces that are inclusive of Black girls’ identities in the K-12 educational system contributes to the continual widening gap of the lack of Black girls’ retention and interest in science and math spaces. If this systemic problem is to be reformed, district and campus leaders within a school system must work together collaboratively and strategically. Leaders from a macro and micro level must work together to curate STEM spaces that develop Black girl STEM identities, create experiential learning opportunities, design culturally relevant inclusive learning spaces, and provide differentiated professional development to STEM educators rooted in culturally relevant instructional practices. This dissertation of practice is unique, for we address this problem holistically, utilizing our positionalities as district and campus leaders within an urban charter network. Recognizing the multiple intersecting initiatives that work in tandem at the district and school levels, it was imperative to unite as co-researchers within the same network to utilize our realm of influence and positionalities at the district and school level to aggressively tackle Black girl retention in STEM spaces beyond middle school years. This qualitative study intentionally uplifts Black girls and STEM educators’ voices in the design process by implementing three multifaceted interventions. Through the exploration of self-efficacy theory, institutional theory, critical race theory, and self-determination theory, we constructed anti-racist interventions that can easily be replicated in any school setting for STEM educators and Black girls.

Keywords: Professional development, Black girls, Culturally Relevant, Science, Math, STEM identity, Inclusiveness, Retention, Engagement