Sarah Brown - Research

Teaming STEM + Sport

What is Teaming STEM + Sports?

Teaming STEM + Sports is a National Science Foundation-funded AISL project that brings together STEM learning and youth sports to inspire historically underserved children ages 8-11. Through a multi-year partnership with the West Dallas community, the project team collaborates with youth, families, nonprofit organizations, and educators to design and study a sports-based STEM curriculum rooted in community interests and local context.

Mission and Project Goals

The mission of Teaming STEM + Sports is to expand access to high-quality informal STEM learning experiences by integrating STEM concepts into sports that matter to youth and their communities.

Core Project Goals

1. Co-Develop and Implement a High-Quality STEM + Sports Program

Working alongside youth, parents, community members, and nonprofit partners, the project team is developing an engaging, culturally grounded curriculum that integrates STEM concepts into popular sports. This includes ongoing collaborative design, testing, and refinement of activities that build on youth interests and community assests.

2. Conduct Rigorous Research on STEM Learning and Identity

Through iterative descriptive studies and quasi-experimental design, the project examines how sports-based STEM experiences affects students' STEM content knowledge, engagement, practices, and identity development. The research focuses specifically on the elementary years - an age group underrepresented in previous STEM-sports studies.

Broader Impacts

STEM fields continue to face representation gaps, especially among women and individuals identifying as Latinx or Black. By grounding STEM in the interests, values, and lived experience of West Dallas youth, this project expands access to high-quality STEM opportunities and supports positive STEM identity development.

Project outcomes will include:

• A publically available STEM + sports curriculum adaptable to diverse communities worldwide.
• Research publications, practitioner resources, and conference presentations.
• Insight into community-centered co-designed processes that can be replicated in similar contexts.

Ultimately, this work aims to broaden participation in STEM by making learning relevant, joyful, and connected to activities youth already love.

Community Partners in West Dallas

Teaming STEM + Sports is built on deep collaboration with community organizations in West Dallas, Texas. These partners help shape curriculum content, host summer programming, and ensure the project aligns with local goals and strengths. This collaborative approach reflects the project's commitment to positive youth development, cultural relevance, and community ownership.

To ensure meaningful co-collaboration and deepend community ownership, we have recruited and assembled both a Community Advisory Board (comprised of West Dallas parents, teachers, business owners, and nonprofilt leaders) and a Youth Advisory Board (made up of West Dallas youth in grades 6-12). These advisory boards meet monthly with the project team to provide input, shape decision-making, and co-create the curriculum that will be used in the program.

The resulting programming will be implemented by our community partners beginning in summer 2026 and will serve youth entering grades 3-5.

Partner With Us

This project is built in collaboration with the community. We are actively seeking:

• Community partners interested in implementing the curriculum.
• Sports teams and organizations interested in engagement and outreach.
• Students seeking meaningful volunteer opportunities.
• Community members who want to learn more about the project.

To explore ways to get involved, please contact Dr. Sarah Brown.

Research Team

The project team held its first introductory meeting in West Dallas to present the project overview and to recruit members for the Community Advisory Board and the Youth Advisor Board. More than 100 community members attended the event, including parents, educators, youth, and local nonprofit representatives.

Teaming STEM + Sports research team from left to right. Venita Ellingberg-Buffington (TTU Alumna), Troy Forte (Teaching Assistant Professor, Southern Methodist University), Dr. Tiffini Pruitt-Britton (Researcher, American Institutes for Research), Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann (Assistant Professor, South Methodist University), Dr. Sarah Brown (Assistant Professor of Practice, Texas Tech University), Dr. Elizabeth Adams (Senior Researcher, American Institutes for Research), and Toni Harrison-Kelly (Director of Retention, Recuitment, and Alumni Affairs, Southern Methodist University).