Sustainable development of community-supported STEM-learning ecosystems in rural areas of the United States

The Rural Activation & Innovation Network (RAIN) project was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (DRL#: 161255) from 2017 through 2021. The purpose of the project was to engage, support, and better understand rural communities in changing perceptions of the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) learning to public education and the local economy, as well as leveraging local resources and expertise to support STEM learning. The literature indicates that STEM thinking and science literacy helps people to logically, systematically, and critically identify and solve problems and issues facing their communities. Using science and evidence-based facts and information helps to empower communities to engage in civic action, to organize, and to influence policies that help improve the human condition. This article is a case study of four rural regions located in the southwest region of the United States. It presents key stages of the RAIN project that have contributed toward sustaining the development of informal STEM learning opportunities in these regions. It brings together research and evaluation efforts that include survey data collected from community members and Regional Innovation Councils (RICs) in each of the four RAIN project regions, as well as interviews with key stakeholders and document review. The findings and discussion provide insights and strategies for development of sustainable community-supported STEM learning ecosystems in rural areas of the United States that meet their unique needs and identities.