Author ORCID Identifier

Jayson Seaman - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6555-6171

Abstract

Outdoor recreation is being promoted by many state and federal agencies as an economic development strategy in rural regions of the United States that have experienced sustained divestment and outmigration after the collapse of traditional industries, yet have abundant natural amenities. An underappreciated dimension of these efforts is how to prepare a future workforce from within these rural communities that can help develop this diverse and growing sector. This research note reports on an intervention delivered to middle and high-school aged youth in a rural area in the northeastern U.S. that examined whether outdoor recreation activities can serve as an equitable context for informal STEM learning. Results show strong engagement across levels of sociodemographic disadvantage, suggesting that outdoor recreation activities may be harnessed to engage youth who have historically been marginalized from STEM and other career pathways, yet whose future participation will be important for achieving rural development aims.

Date Created

February 20, 2024

Department

Recreation Management and Policy

Publication Date

Winter 2-20-2024

Grant/Award Number and Agency

National Science Foundation Award #2213919

Document Type

Data Set

Source

Sorvey

Comments

Consult corresponding author before using dataset

Available for download on Tuesday, December 20, 2050

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