2025 LbyM WestEd Report

Learning by Making (LbyM) is a hands-on, place-based STEM program designed to help rural high school students build computational thinking, coding, and problem-solving skills by tackling real-world issues from their own communities. During the 2022–2023 school year, the program was studied by WestEd researchers. While standardized test gains were limited due to pandemic-related disruptions, research showed teachers reporting higher student engagement, confidence, and stronger connections between STEM learning and real-life careers. The study also found that LbyM strengthens teacher confidence and capacity to deliver engaging, NGSS-aligned STEM instruction—supporting more equitable and relevant learning experiences for students.

Click here to read the paper published in Frontiers in Education.