Examining longitudinal impacts of an informal physics program

Physics has a strong tradition of informal education and community engagement. While research studies often document immediate impacts of such informal learning experiences, studies of longitudinal impacts are less common. We are in the process of examining and documenting long-term impacts of one informal physics program that seeks to cultivate interest and support science identity development for marginalized youth through a physics-based afterschool program. Through a mixed methods study, we will document the types of impacts this program can have, and is having, on youth participants (e.g., college attendance, science identity, persistence in STEM, among others). We present preliminary results from retrospective interviews with former program participants and discuss other elements of our longitudinal study approach, including a survey of STEM identity modified for use with elementary and middle school students in an informal environment.