# data[].attributes.body
Add a new post (+) to help us celebrate.

Share a reflection, anecdote, photo, or memory that highlights the significance of the DRK-12 program for you.

For example:

How DRK-12 has influenced your own work or trajectory?

What has been the impact of the program on the communities you serve?

What ways DRK-12 has shaped the broader PreK–12 STEM education field?

# data[].attributes.body
CADRE has been one of the most important ingredients in the success of the DRK-12 program over the last 17 years. It has created a true community around DRK-12 by connecting projects, amplifying findings, and helping investigators learn from one another rather than working in isolation. CADRE’s synthesis work, proposal preparation toolkits, and regular convenings have made the portfolio feel coherent and cumulative, which is not easy in a field as diverse as PreK–12 STEM education.

From an NSF perspective, CADRE has helped the program have a larger footprint than the sum of its awards. The consistent emphasis on dissemination, collaboration, and shared learning has strengthened the impact of DRK-12 research well beyond what individual projects could do on their own. And it has helped shape the broader STEM education landscape by making high-quality, evidence-based resources more accessible to educators, leaders, and policymakers.

On a personal level, CADRE has influenced my own work by giving me a clearer view of the field.  Which ideas and young investigators are emerging, what’s working, and where the biggest needs remain. And I would be remiss not to mention the CADRE Fellows program, which has quietly become one of the most influential ways of building a new generation of STEM education researchers. I always enjoy getting to know the Fellows each year and helping them understand NSF’s programs and processes; that ongoing investment in people continues to pay dividends across the entire community.  I would like to say a huge thank you to all the CADRE team members over these many years.

# data[].attributes.body
CADRE was a fantastic opportunity for me as an early career scholar, and the network of Fellows helped me to strengthen my own ideas and methods of communicating my research during a phase of my dissertation that was particular tricky. After participating in the program, I felt much more confident in conceptualizing the impact of my work on the broader field, and I went on to produce a dissertation I was extremely proud of. I also learned so much from meeting other Fellows and learning about all of the diverse and fascinating work that is happening in the STEM education field. The STEM education field has so many interlinked subfields contributing to its breadth of research, and CADRE does a wonderful job of making those links visible and helping us share ideas, questions, and successes across those varied fields.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.qxrRWKgQ
Megan Humburg, CADRE Fellow (2020-2021 cohort)

# data[].attributes.body
Being a CADRE fellow (2025) was an invaluable opportunity to connect with early-career scholars whom I would not have met otherwise. Our year's focus on rural-focused researchers helped me to reaffirm my commitment to advancing STEM education in rural settings and expanded my network to ensure I had the resources and access to expertise to support that goal. The additional support from mentors and career experts helped me grow in aspect of my work where I wanted to advance, particularly in math education research.

# data[].attributes.body
I’ve been part of the DRK-12 program from its inception through its recent archiving. Over those years, I’ve watched lines of research evolve, seen many hardworking NSF program directors come and go, and navigated shifts in federal priorities. I’ve bargained with more hotels than I can count to serve something more than dry toast for DRK-12 meeting breakfasts at government per diem rates. Above all, I’ve been continually impressed by DRK-12 community members who so generously share their expertise and experience with others, and deeply humbled by this community’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives and learning of children.

Through the DRK–12 program, NSF made a near two-decade investment that knit together thousands of researchers and partners, produced usable knowledge and tools for classrooms, and raised expectations for equity and evidence in PreK–12 STEM education. Its awards built a pipeline—from exploratory ideas to classroom-tested innovations—while CADRE and the EQR Hub built capacity for advancing and circulating this research. The result is a stronger national infrastructure for teaching, learning, and assessment that persists beyond any single grant cycle. As the portfolio transitions into NSF’s STEM K–12 program, the DRK–12 legacy endures not just in publications or products but in a field that is more connected, methodologically stronger, and oriented toward impact—ready to carry forward the work of improving STEM education for all learners. Read our retrospective on the DRK-12 program.

Thank you to NSF and the DRK-12 program for supporting such vital work. Thank you to all of you awardees for doing the work!

# data[].attributes.body
I am proud to be a CADRE Fellow and to be part of a community committed to advancing rigorous and impactful STEM education research. The fellowship has been an important milestone in my professional development and has strengthened my confidence as an emerging scholar in the DRK-12 community. The program connected me with researchers working on diverse STEM education initiatives across different age groups and learning environments. Through monthly writing groups and cohort discussions, I met scholars who share similar interests in early childhood STEM learning. These interactions helped me identify potential collaborators for future interdisciplinary projects.

# data[].attributes.body
My four years as a Graduate Research Assistant on the NSF DRK-12 LaCuKnoS project profoundly shaped my work and commitments in STEM education research. Through LaCuKnoS, I participated in the design, testing, and refinement of a justice-centered teaching model grounded in local communities' strengths, experiences, and knowledge. The project helped me understand STEM learning as deeply connected to issues of equity, participation, and recognition, and demonstrated the power of sustained research–practice partnerships. LaCuKnoS provided a space for rigorous, collaborative research that remained accountable to teachers, students, and communities, and it continues to influence how I approach both study and practice. Contributing to this work has been an enduring and meaningful part of the DRK-12 legacy.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.qxrRWKgQ
Diana Crespo Camacho, CADRE Fellow, 2022 

# data[].attributes.body
The DRK-12 program has been the bedrock of K-12 STEM education research across the country for almost 2 decades. Its longevity and broad impacts have fostered the evolution of the field as new ideas and investigators envision and reframe emerging areas of research. I would like to express my deep gratitude to four groups that make up the DRK-12 community.

NSF program officers. They are deeply committed to supporting ideas, including bold ideas that could generate new insights or directions for research. They are equally committed to supporting people, ranging from senior to early-career scholars.

CADRE. As the hub of the DRK-12 program, CADRE has held the DRK-12 community together through various activities, events, and support networks. In particular, CADRE has seamlessly coordinated PI meetings.

Investigators. The DRK-12 program has attracted STEM education investigators, who have generously shared their research findings and ideas. Their commitments to improving K-12 STEM education are inspiring.

CADRE Fellows. They are the next generation of STEM education scholars, who bring fresh perspectives.

The legacy of the DRK-12 program will continue through its profound and lasting impacts on K-12 STEM education.

Personally, DRK-12 has been home to my research program. As an investigator, I am committed to making a difference in the lives of students and teachers and in the education system. Through changes in the administration and funding policies over the years, DRK-12 has enabled me to fulfill my commitments. I am deeply grateful to the above four groups, and it has been an honor to be part of the DRK-12 community.

# data[].attributes.body
Over the years the DRK-12 program has provided essential support for research and improvement in mathematics education. I have served as a program officer for DRK-12, and I have also been (and still am) a PI for DRK-12 funded projects. The DRK-12 program played a significant role in my personal career development. Around 2001, my very first DRK-12 project examined algebraic thinking across in East Asian countries, where algebra has been taught in elementary schools. We sought to learn from practices in those countries to provide perspectives on how to improve students' algebra learning in the United States. Some of the ideas generated from that early project have been widely disseminated through NCTM yearbooks and other publications.

That said, the DRK-12 program's impact has gone far beyond my personal career development. At a rough estimate, DRK-12 funded projects have allowed me and my collaborators to work directly with at least 100 teachers across 20 schools. And, through NCTM presentations and publications about students' algebra learning, we have reached many more teachers directly.

Finally, DRK-12 support for our projects advanced the field of mathematics education in at least two ways. The first involves longitudinally examining students' algebra learning using different curriculum materials. In fact, we not only followed students' learning through their middle school years but also into their high school years.  In our most recent project, which focuses on mathematical problem posing, we have moved the field forward regarding how to teach mathematics in general and, in particular, how to help foster student's thinking in algebra and problem posing. Specific contributions have included the development of the P-PBL instructional model, the development of instructional tasks based on teachers' regular curriculum materials, and building our understanding of how teachers learn to teach mathematics through problem posing.

# data[].attributes.body
Hard to believe that that the DRK-12 program is winding down! I am deeply appreciative of the National Science Foundation’s investment in STEM education and its flagship DRK-12 portfolio. It is not an exaggeration to say that NSF’s DRK-12 program has been the cornerstone of our nation’s STEM education research infrastructure over the past 15+ years. As the leading driver of innovation in STEM education, the program has impacted nationwide how kids from preschool to high school learn science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And, for the nearly two decades that the program has run, CADRE has played an integral role in creating and sustaining the community of DRK-12 researchers, educators, and STEM advocates who made it through the rigorous review process to have their projects awarded.

The DRK-12 has been one of my research “hubs” – and home to my very first grant award as a principal investigator. This first grant supported a big multi-institutional partnership to study high quality instructional materials in middle school science classrooms. And I had such great and experienced colleagues to work with! The experience influenced my early professional growth and shaped my career trajectory. It has been a highlight of my career to have been part of the DRK-12 research community and work with so many amazing researchers who are also outstanding people.

I'll close with my usual statement: “Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.” ;)

# data[].attributes.body
Thank you to PIs and research teams for bringing about the impacts the DRK-12 program supported!

DRK-12 was designed to support research and development in the STEM preK-12 space, to ask the question about a good balance, or good combination, of R and D. The PIs and research teams deserve recognition for pushing the field forward on this, so that preK-12 STEM education is attended to purposefully while these purposeful efforts are studied systematically. We hope part of the DRK-12 legacy is the increased body of practice-oriented knowledge that has resulted.

NSF continues to support STEM prek-12 R&D through the STEM K-12 program. :-)

# data[].attributes.body
CADRE was my first foray into STEM education as a discipline. It was a wonderful opportunity and gave me a number of tools for my future work.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.qxrRWKgQ
Alice Morgan, CADRE Fellow (2019-2020 cohort)

# data[].attributes.body
Attending my first PI meeting in approximately 2012 was an incredible experience. I remember feeling like all the brilliance and cutting-edge action in science education was concentrated in one place and I was so excited and honored to be a part of it. I am grateful to NSF and to CADRE for the investment in and support for research and design, and I hope we can find our way through these challenging times.

# data[].attributes.body
It has been an honor to work with and support the DRK-12 community over the last 15+ years. I will fondly remember the connections and conversations I had with so many awardees about their work, ideas, and the communities they serve. I've especially enjoyed watching careers and areas of the field advance and transform over the duration of the program - data science education, online and blended professional development, assessment, and others (just to name a few focus areas I had the privilege of supporting over the years). Thank you to NSF and the DRK-12 community for all the work you've done and will continue to do to improve education in our country.

# data[].attributes.body
The DRK-12 program has provided opportunities for creating a new vision for STEM education. It has been inspiring to learn more about amazing projects and see the results. Through CADRE, resources were mobilized for making sure that everyone could be successful in achieving our goals to improve society through education. More importantly, there was a sense of belonging to a community that shared the aspirations of transforming STEM education. I am so grateful for having this community.

# data[].attributes.body
For many years, the NSF DRK–12 program and CADRE provided the funding, guidance, and community that made my colleagues’ work and my own possible. Through sustained DRK–12 support and CADRE’s thoughtful stewardship, my research team produced more than 30 peer-reviewed publications across research and practitioner venues and worked with hundreds of teachers and thousands of middle and high school students. CADRE’s leadership helped cultivate a collaborative research community focused on helping students critically evaluate sources and claims about scientific issues of social relevance. Emerging evidence suggests that, through their teachers and research-based instructional materials developed in DRK–12 projects, students carry these scientific thinking practices beyond classrooms into their communities as problem-solving agents. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities CADRE and DRK–12 afforded us to pursue a more reasoned world grounded in democracy, justice, and hope.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Inaugural CADRE Postdoc Professional Growth Fellows

# data[].attributes.body
Deeply grateful to CADRE for doing something different and assembling a group of Postdocs from all over to imagine beyond. Some of us entered the PI-Meeting in 2018 as strangers and left as colleagues and friends. The energy of these relationships energized many of us then in such meaningful ways and will continue propel us to hope and dream for ourselves, DRK12, and more.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.qxrRWKgQ
ReAnna S. Roby, PhD
University of Minnesota 

# data[].attributes.body
Looking through the CADRE timeline for DRK12, I realized I attended the first DRK12 PI meeting in 2008 and the last PI meeting in 2025. It is amazing to think of all of the incredible work and individuals that were supported over that time period by DRK12.

I remember in 2008 as an early career assistant professor attending that first DRK12 PI meeting feeling in awe of the amazing work and feeling like an imposter for having been invited. I also remember how incredibly supportive everyone I talked to was at that first meeting. I don't think I fully realized it at the time, but I had found my grant home in the combined focus on design and research to move the STEM field forward. As well as in the amazing community members of DRK12, a number of whom would become my co-authors and co-PIs on future DRK12 grants.

I do not know how many DRK12 PI meetings I have had the privilege to attend over the last two decades but they always have resulted in me feeling inspired and in awe of the transformative STEM work. I know so many of the DRK12 alumni (especially including all of the amazing CADRE Fellows) will continue the legacy of the incredible work started in DRK12.

# data[].attributes.body
Kudos to DRK12 whose funding has changed the lives of many budding scientists. DRK12 funded the Waksman Student Scholars Program for two decades. These high school students participated in bioinformatics research , many publishing their DNA sequences of various project organisms on the NIH site. Our motto was "In order to learn science, you have to do science." By teaching background science and techniques in this innovative field, high school students were able to do the science. In one longitudinal study, 77% of these students went into STEM fields. Thanks to DRK12 for moving science education forward.

J. Charney, Ed.D

Waksman Institute

Rutgers University

# data[].attributes.body
The DRK-12 program gave me the opportunity to work alongside brilliant, passionate colleagues on efforts that pushed the boundaries of how we think about learning.

Together, we explored new technologies and new ways of teaching that made real differences in classrooms and in the lives of teachers and students.

DRK-12 didn't just fund projects. It built a community. It created space for the kind of ambitious, collaborative work that's hard to find elsewhere—work that values both innovation and the wisdom of practitioners on the ground.

To everyone who has championed DRK-12 over the years: thank you. The impact of this investment in education will be felt for a long time to come.

# data[].attributes.body
CADRE has literally been the foundation of my career as a researcher. From joining this community as a CADRE fellow initially as a post-doc on a DRK12 project on accessible CT in elementary science to three years later becoming a PI on three NSF grants, including a DRK12 and CAREER, CADRE has given me roots and wings. CADRE has grounded me in what it means to be a STEM K-12 education researcher and opened me to new methodologies, ideas, and people. It has shown me a tapestry of ideas that I carry forward. From mock panel reviews to the guest speakers, the early career CADRE program equipped me with the skills, opportunity, and inspiration to put my ideas into full proposals and papers. A senior researcher told me that this is like a relay - passing of the baton when a PI works with the next generation of researchers. I have this picture in my mind as I write this. We must and will find a way to continue to pass the baton.

Thank you to the CADRE team for your support, vision, and tireless advocacy for science research.

Janice Mak (CADRE Fellow 2022)

# data[].attributes.body
Thank you DRK-12 and the CADRE community!!! The support and collegiality has contributed to our growth as colleagues and researchers. I am forever grateful!