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This paper examines the importance of facilitation in youth constructionist learning environments, presenting best practices developed through an educational live-action roleplay (edu-larp) curriculum for middle school-aged youth. Drawing on four pilot deployments, we identify strategies for training facilitators in improvisation, role-play, and technical troubleshooting to ensure alignment with constructionist values. We detail how these practices were scaled and supported through the development of training materials and resources for a camp-in-a-box adaptation. Key findings highlight the need for active engagement in role-play during training, the value of adaptable resources, and the effectiveness of narrative framing in motivating STEM engagement. This work contributes to understanding how facilitation practices can enhance informal learning experiences and provides insights into scaling such practices effectively. 

Developing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education curricula encouraging participation from underrepresented groups is crucial for diversity in computational fields. Many existing programs attract cis-white males, to the exclusion of other groups. This paper discusses a camp where participants, primarily female youth ages 10-14 (N=45), engage in crafting social wearable technologies within a live-action roleplay context. Our findings from four camp sessions show increased self-reported competence and interest in STEAM among participants, alongside enhanced feelings of community and social support. The camp’s innovative approach integrates design thinking, iterative design, and collaboration, proving effective in fostering inclusivity and engagement in STEAM. We adopted an iterative Research-through-Design process, with researchers embedded in the camp to observe and conduct surveys and interviews with participants. Researchers and educators can benefit from reading our results, which demonstrate the value of a playful, socially-engaged curriculum in attracting and retaining diverse students in STEAM fields.