Circulating STEM: A Library and Planetarium Community Education Partnership

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

Circulating STEM is a community education program created as a partnership between Clark Planetarium and the Salt Lake County Library System with funding leveraged from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This program sought to increase accessibility to STEM resources for teens in Salt Lake County. Building on existing library branch programs, Circulating STEM created a rotating series of hands-on science, technology and engineering activities that explored complex concepts and principles through simulations of robotic missions. Over the span of three years, Circulating STEM provided hands-on robotic building activities to thousands of teens and preteens in their local library branches, increased interest in STEM among participants, increased willingness to pursue STEM education and careers, and provided technical and specialized programming assistance for library branches.