Economic, cultural, and science capital: Familial factors shaping access to STEM outreach programs for children and youth

The populations of engineering students and practicing engineers in Canada do not reflect the larger national or provincial populations in socioeconomic status (SES), gender, race, ethnicity, or Indigeneity. Outreach initiatives, such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) summer camps inclusive of underrepresented groups, aim to tackle these persistent dynamics of privilege and marginalization. STEM outreach programs continue to grow rapidly in all Canadian provinces and territories and have been shown to increase STEM identity and self-efficacy. However, young people’s likelihood of participating in extracurricular activities is organized by social inequality, particularly socioeconomic status. In collaboration with a STEM outreach program connected to a large Canadian research university, we ask whether family SES is associated with young people’s enrollment in STEM summer camps. Through a survey of campers’ families (n=196), we document household income, parents’ educational and professional backgrounds, home STEM learning environment, and parents’ support for and perceptions of STEM education and careers. Results indicate that many outreach participants come from families with high economic, cultural, and science capital. This research suggests there may be potential for STEM outreach programs to further target groups whose underrepresentation in STEM outreach is connected to SES.