Creating a National Infrastructure of Support for Extended Explorations in Science and Engineering in After-school Programs

EDC和劳伦斯科学大厅提出了一个密集的，创新的指导和专业发展模式，将建立社区组织（CBO）的能力，提供高质量的科学和工程课程，以儿童在课后计划。 该计划的目标是缓解课后STEM提供者的两个一贯问题：高流动率和领导/教授高质量科学活动的能力。 该项目将在该国三个地区建立一个广泛的培训员网络，利用两个建立良好和值得信赖的国家非正规教育网络的专门知识和合作。 广泛的合作涉及14个组织，包括9个科学中心（不同规模），三个国家4-H机构，国家4-H理事会和EDC。该项目的主要受众是培训师（科学中心，4-H，其他），他们目前（或将来）培训CBO工作人员。 EDC、LHS和三个“导师”科学中心将监督这些培训，并开发新的PD资源，以提高CBO工作人员从这些和其他培训师那里接受培训的质量。 全国4-H理事会将通过4-H全国网络帮助协调培训和产品传播古德曼研究小组将对该项目进行形成性和总结性评估。可交付成果：该项目将提供：1）长期培训和支持模式，以建设社区组织的能力，为儿童提供高质量的科学和工程课程; 2）指导模式，以支持和监督直接与社区组织合作的培训师; 3）专业发展工具和资源，旨在提高向社区组织工作人员提供的培训质量。该项目将通过以下方式影响国家课后专业发展领域：（a）展示科学中心，4-H，和其他培训人员可以建设社区组织的能力，以改善他们领导与儿童有关的科学和工程项目的方式，（B）培养一批指导机构，以帮助其他人采用这种能力建设和专业发展模式，（c）开发专业发展工具和资源，以提高培训人员向社区组织工作人员提供的培训质量。（1）劳伦斯科学馆（2）明尼苏达科学博物馆（3）波士顿儿童博物馆。 这六个科学中心包括：（1）俄亥俄州托莱多的COSI托莱多;（2）明尼苏达州贝米吉的源头科学中心;（3）罗得岛州普罗维登斯的普罗维登斯儿童博物馆;（4）纽约州罗切斯特的罗切斯特博物馆和科学中心;（5）德克萨斯州阿灵顿的河流遗产生活科学中心;以及（6）新墨西哥州阿尔伯克基的Explora。 这三个4-H合作伙伴包括（1）4-H新罕布什尔州，（2）4- H明尼苏达州和（3）4-H加州。

EDC and the Lawrence Hall of Science propose an intensive, innovative mentoring and professional development model that will build the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) to deliver high-quality science and engineering curricula to children in after-school programs. The program's goal is to alleviate two consistent problems of after-school STEM providers: high turnover rate and the ability to lead/teach high quality science activities. The project will put in place a broad network of trainers in three regions of the country, leveraging the expertise and collaboration of two well-established and trusted national informal education networks. The extensive collaboration involves 14 organizations total including nine science centers (of varying sizes), three state 4-H agencies, the National 4-H Council and EDC.The primary audience for this project is the trainers (science center, 4-H, others) who currently (or may in the future) train CBO staff. EDC, LHS, and three "mentor" science centers will supervise these trainings and develop the new PD resources designed to improve the quality of training that CBO staff receive from these and other trainers. The National 4-H Council will help coordinate training and dissemination of products through the 4-H national network Goodman Research Group will conduct formative and summative evaluations of the project.DELIVERABLES: This project will deliver: 1) a model of prolonged training and support to build the capacity of CBOs to lead high quality science and engineering curricula with children; 2) a mentoring model to support and supervise trainers who work directly with CBOs; and 3) professional development tools and resources designed to improve the quality of training delivered to CBO staff.STRATEGIC IMPACT: This project will impact the national after-school professional development field by (a) demonstrating a model for how science-center, 4-H, and other trainers can build the capacity of CBOs to improve the way they lead science and engineering projects with children, (b) nurturing a cadre of mentor institutions to assist others to adopt this capacity-building and professional-development model, and (c) developing professional development tools and resources that improve the quality of training delivered by trainers to CBO staff.COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS: The three "mentor" institutions are: (1) the Lawrence Hall of Science, (2) the Science Museum of Minnesota, and (3) the Boston Children's Museum. The six science centers include (1) COSI Toledo in Toledo, OH; (2) Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji, MN; (3) Providence Children's Museum in Providence, RI; (4) Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, NY; (5) River Legacy Living Science Center in Arlington, TX; and (6) Explora in Albuquerque, NM. The three 4-H partners include (1) 4-H New Hampshire, (2) 4- H Minnesota, and (3) 4-H California.