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Not AvailableThe Roads Taken Project utilized fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine necessary and sufficient conditions for achieving STEM involvement of alumnae(i) of six intensive STEM-based youth programs 15 to 25 years after participation. Outcomes included overall STEM involvement (including STEM academics and careers, personal STEM involvement, community STEM involvement, and long-term STEM identity), and post- program and program contribution to social-emotional learning and development. We identified conditions contributing to pathways to these outcomes. Results revealed that, although differing for the varied participant groups, social-emotional learning and development played a role in all the pathways but was particularly prominent in pathways to community STEM involvement. High program dose accompanied by a sense of competence, relatedness, and autonomy in programs with highly varied strategies led to social-emotional learning and varied by participant groups. Along with presenting findings, this study highlights fsQCA as a method for revealing the complex relationship of social-emotional development to STEM outcomes and the multiple pathways for achieving them. 

(2025, April). A configurational approach to understanding the contribution of Intensive STEM-based youth programming to adult STEM outcomes. QCA Conference of the Americas. 

Intensive youth STEM programs serve high school students in informal learning spaces such as museums and community centers. They engage participants over weeks, months, or years, focusing on long-term STEM out- comes, especially for populations historically marginalized in STEM fields. However, many of these programs operate independently or in silos, limiting opportunities for collective learning and improvement. Isolation is driven by factors such as diverse organizational types, funding sources, program sizes, content focus, and research and evaluation capacities. Furthermore, conducting longitudinal studies to track participant outcomes is rare and expensive. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a conversation toward the establishment of a collaborative network to support research collaboration and knowledge integration, exchange, and translation. Such a network would strengthen the capacity of these programs, improve long-term outcomes for participants, and contribute to the broader STEM education and career research community, enhancing the overall impact of intensive youth STEM programs.