Developing Community-Centered Tools to Measure Rightful Presence in Informal Science Spaces

This three-year methodological research study will develop and validate a suite of instruments that informal science learning institutions can use to assess rightful presence — the extent to which learners' knowledge, identities, and ways of engaging are genuinely valued and legitimized in a learning environment. Guided by a Community Research Network of ISL practitioners, community members, and youth, the project will design, test, and refine three complementary tools: a learner-centered protocol, a facilitator reflection tool, and an institutional self-assessment. Together, these instruments translate rightful presence theory into community-validated measures, filling a gap that currently limits both rigorous study of the framework and institutions' ability to know whether their investments in inclusive practice are working.