Creative Communities is a research group located at the University of Colorado Boulder led by Dr. Ricarose Roque. We are seeking new PhD students who are interested in working youth and families from underrepresented groups in STEM, developing experience in community-based research, examining equity and inclusion in learning environments, and exploring the possibilities of learning with creative technologies. In particular, we have new projects where we will be exploring the joint engagement of families and educators participating in making and tinkering spaces in informal learning organizations such as Denver Public Library and its ideaLAB spaces. Making and tinkering spaces have a mix of craft, traditional, and emerging computational tools and activities that engage people in project-based, interest- driven, and peer-supported learning experiences. Researchers and educators have documented how making and tinkering spaces can support diverse learners to engage in STEM-rich learning opportunities. Our new projects will be exploring ways to support educators and families to meaningfully engage in creating with code in making and tinkering spaces.
We’re looking for PhD students to contribute to the design and implementation of programs like the Family Creative Learning project, an internationally-recognized program that supports families in creative computing, as well as qualitative studies of families' and educators' joint engagement in these programs. Our research team is housed in the department of Information Science and includes students and collaborators across different disciplines such as Information Science, Education, Computer Science, ATLAS, and Museum Studies. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences are strongly encouraged to apply. Questions? Please email Ricarose Roque directly: ricarose (at) colorado (dot) edu. More details about applying to the department of Information Science PhD program can be found here.