Outdoor recreation shows promise as an equitable context for youth informal STEM learning in amenity-rich rural areas

Abstract

Many state and federal agencies are promoting outdoor recreation as an economic development strategy in natural resource-dependent rural regions of the United States that have experienced sustained divestment and outmigration after the collapse of traditional extractive industries. An underappreciated dimension of these efforts is how to prepare a future workforce from within rural communities that can help develop this diverse and growing sector. This article reports on an intervention delivered to middle and high-school aged youth in a rural area in the northeastern U.S. that examined whether outdoor recreation activities can serve as an accessible context for informal STEM learning. Results show strong engagement regardless of sociodemographic barriers, suggesting that outdoor recreation activities may be harnessed to engage youth who have historically been excluded from STEM and other career pathways, yet whose future participation is important for achieving rural development aims.