NSF FF: Planning: Design-Based Planning of AI-Enabled, Place-Based Learning Systems to Increase STEM Achievement for Middle and High School Students in New Mexico

Award ID: 2627562

This FINDERS Foundry award supports iterative cycles of stakeholder engagement, analysis and co-design to design a tool that will improve K-12 STEM achievement. The interdisciplinary team of students, parents, teachers, counselors, and community partners will identify persistent problems of practices and commit to a collaborative iterative design process to identify root causes, clarify user needs, and co-develop an initial concept that integrates responsible AI and place-based learning. This project has the potential to improve access to high-quality, locally relevant STEM learning opportunities; strengthen pathways into engineering and related fields; and support educators and families as active partners in STEM learning. This FINDERS Foundry award utilizes a designbased implementation research approach to define an AIenabled, community grounded STEMlearning model for middle and highschool contexts. The project will identify persistent instructional challenges, clarify stakeholder needs, and produce an initial system concept that integrates AIsupported tools with placebased learning practices. Steps in the co-design process include will include gathering perspectives on barriers to STEM achievement, synthesizing findings into a clear challenge statement, generating and refine an initial wireframe, and defining technical, pedagogical, and organizational requirements for a future prototype. This work establishes the foundation for a future developmentphase proposal centered on accessible, AIsupported STEM opportunities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Lindsay Portnoy