Editor Dennis Schatz introduces the third issue, focused on how STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning surrounds us.

This issue features contributions on the theme of STEM Learning Surrounds Us: Building learning ecosystems that connect STEM education across multiple settings. One contribution features a statewide effort in North Carolina, while two others deal with the challenges of serving rural populations.

Reader response has been positive regarding the publishing of each issue in three parts over three months. This means that manageable amounts of content will be sent to you every month, once the journal starts coming out quarterly in spring 2018.

First Two Issues a Success

The first two issues were supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (DRL-1420262) that allowed NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) and ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) to develop and pilot the issues. The response to the journal has been higly encouraging. We have gained more than 4,000 subscribers, collected more article submissions than we can publish, and gathered many positive comments from the grant’s evaluation, such as:

There are very few places to publish work that goes across formal and informal science education, and this will be helpful for disseminating findings that bridge these areas.

Look for the results from the summative evaluation in the next issue, which comes out in the fall and focuses on STEM for Early Learners.

Seeking Donations to Make the Journal an Open-Access Publication

Both NSTA and ASTC desire Connected Science Learning be an open-access publication, where anyone can read the journal content. While this model is great for the reader, it requires creative ways to fund journal production, beyond paid subscriptions. As readership builds, we plan for paid advertisements to provide a portion of the required revenue. But this will not be sufficient to cover production costs.

Thus, we have started a public appeal, similar to a PBS drive, to seek donations from our readership. You probably saw a pop-up screen when you came to the Connected Science Learning website, which asked you to donate to the journal’s operation.

We hope that you are satisfied with what you read and will take the opportunity to contribute. So that you are not confronted with the pop-up each time you connect, it only reappears when a new issue is published.

You can also donate directly on the NSTA website or by clicking on the yellow “Donate” button at the top of the page. Thanks for considering this request.

We know that Connected Science Learning, like all new publications, will take a while to develop a sufficiently robust readership to generate the number of donations and level of advertising needed to fully support the journal, so we are also looking for “start-up” funding from private sources that will partially support the journal over the next three to five years. Look for reports in future issues about the success of these efforts.

Submit Content for the Fifth and Sixth Issues

Issue 5 – STEM Learning in Environmental Settings

Submissions due June 15, 2017

Published in Winter 2017

Issue 6 – STEM Learning Through Citizen Science Experiences

Submissions due September 15, 2017

Published in Spring 2018

Please share this information with other colleagues who are involved in projects that match the goals of the journal. While each issue has a theme, we also seek submissions that match the broader goals of the journal without linking to the individual themes.

More about Connected Science Learning, including detailed Submission Guidelines, is available on the NSTA website.

Dennis Schatz (dschatz@pacsci.org) is the Editor of Connected Science Learning and Senior Advisor at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington.