Youths of marginalized demographic groups frequently find themselves excluded from participatory discourses in school science. As a result, these students often decide early in their school careers that science is not “for them” and consequently infrequently pursue STEM careers. Efforts to increase diversity of STEM participation have included targeted informal learning experiences for young people from marginalized populations. However, these efforts are not always designed to explicitly support STEM identity formation—a construct closely associated with STEM career pursuit. In this study, we explore the connection between childhood informal STEM learning experiences of Hispanic/Latino students at a Hispanic Serving Institution, their identification with STEM, and the factors that contribute to their STEM identity (recognition as a STEM person and interest in STEM). Results show that talking about science with friends and family was the only informal learning experience associated with students’ STEM identity or the factors contributing to STEM identity development. Moreover, talking with close family about science was more relevant to their identity formation than talking with extended family or friends. Implications discussed include the need for bridging science learning experiences with home culture.

边缘化人口群体的青年经常发现自己被排除在学校科学的参与性讨论之外。因此，这些学生通常在他们的学校生涯早期就决定科学不“适合他们”，因此很少从事 STEM 职业。增加 STEM 参与多样性的努力包括为边缘化人群的年轻人提供有针对性的非正式学习体验。然而，这些努力并不总是旨在明确支持 STEM 身份形成——一种与 STEM 职业追求密切相关的结构。在这项研究中，我们探讨了西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生在西班牙裔服务机构的童年非正式 STEM 学习经历、他们对 STEM 的认同、以及影响他们 STEM 身份的因素（作为 STEM 人员的认可和对 STEM 的兴趣）。结果表明，与朋友和家人谈论科学是与学生 STEM 身份或有助于 STEM 身份发展的因素相关的唯一非正式学习体验。此外，与亲密的家人谈论科学比与大家庭或朋友交谈更能促进他们的身份形成。讨论的含义包括需要将科学学习经验与家庭文化联系起来。与亲密的家人谈论科学比与大家庭或朋友交谈更能促进他们的身份形成。讨论的含义包括需要将科学学习经验与家庭文化联系起来。与亲密的家人谈论科学比与大家庭或朋友交谈更能促进他们的身份形成。讨论的含义包括需要将科学学习经验与家庭文化联系起来。