Using a participatory design approach for co-creating culturally situated STEM enrichment activities

Researchers can use a participatory design approach to produce sustainable interventions that leverage the cultural values and practices of ethnoculturally and linguistically diverse populations. PD is underutilized in developmental psychology, but can be a powerful tool for creating culturally situated interventions that bridge gaps in research applicability, inclusivity, and effectiveness. We provide our design narrative for creating grocery store signage promoting early STEM learning in a predominantly low-income, Latine community. We conducted two design sessions with our research team and community members (n = 20) to learn about their past and present intergenerational grocery-shopping experiences and integrated their values into signage. This paper outlines the PD process we undertook and its implications for the field of developmental psychology. We argue that developmental psychologists would benefit from adopting PD as a methodology to build on diverse populations' strengths. This approach can produce relevant interventions that support children's learning in various community settings.