The Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking (NESST): collaboration for a shared transformative future through STEM Education

Abstract

Impact networks are formed to address complex social or environmental issues and are often needed to maximize human and financial resources, impact, and scale of individual organizations, including those serving students in Kindergarten through college (K-16). However, contrary to existing network models described by the literature, networks designed to address complex emergent socio-scientific issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss should themselves be emergent. This paper uses a critical analysis to outline our theory of change for one type of impact network—the emergent network—whose structure, function, and purpose are based on the emerging needs of its members and the needs of a changing world; and, whose members work across borders, disciplines, and generations to educate for a shared transformative future. We apply our theory to a case study called the Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking (NESST), which brings together people with a commitment to think differently about educating youth for the future outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, through the lens of complexity theory and emergence, we reimagine the future of K-16 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education for Sustainable Development (STEM4SD) and demonstrate what collaborative STEM education within the context of SDG 17 and SDG 4.7 can look like.