The geological sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (geo-STEM) have the capacity to investigate and address geological and environmental challenges. Many of these challenges are embedded in social contexts that unjustly impact communities that lack geo-STEM expertise. Geo-STEM learning ecosystems (GLEs) integrate geo-STEM and social science research paradigms to transform the culture of the geo-STEM community. GLEs are communities of practice that engage geo-STEM professionals, educators, and learners to address local issues through place-based STEM research and education. In this paper, we evaluate how the term “learning ecosystem” is used in psychology, educational technology, and STEM education research. Characterizing this transdisciplinary social science literature in terms of input, processes and outputs grounds our understanding of GLEs in a century of research and provides a framework to guide the geo-STEM education community in developing GLEs and documenting community change. One distinction between GLEs and other types of learning ecosystems is the importance of place, which connects GLEs to situation learning theory and the community of practice framework. Examples of three existing GLEs are described to demonstrate a variety of structures and functions. Finally, potential research strategies that enable our understanding of GLEs’ development, functions, and impacts are proposed. As the geoscience research community seeks to become more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive, GLEs create opportunities to foster authentic collaborations between geo-STEM practitioners and researchers and the communities in which they work.