Responsive Placemaking in an Urban STEM Higher Education Ecosystem During a Pandemic: Considerations for Strengthening Resilience in STEM Education

Abstract

This study expands Tichavakunda's (2020) framework on Black placemaking in higher education to explore the experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students in an urban area during COVID-19. The findings reveal how students exercised agency, creativity, and collaboration with peers and faculty to navigate the crisis. Termed “responsive placemaking,” this approach takes into account spatial and temporal factors in how students and institutions address educational disruptions. These strategies are crucial for fostering resilience in STEM education during present and future crises.

Keywords

postsecondary education programs minority academic success urban education qualitative race identity

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