Franklin County STEM Reserach Academies for Young Scientists (STEMRAYS)

本项目将为农村4-8年级学生提供课外和暑期的科学研究项目。主要合作伙伴是马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校（UMass），就在富兰克林县外；另一个高等教育合作伙伴是这个县唯一的学院，格林菲尔德社区学院（GCC）。其他合作伙伴包括该县的八个学区以及当地企业和非正式科学组织。STEMRAYS将把学生和教师与该地区正在进行的跨学科环境研究项目联系起来，为他们提供真实的科学体验，并与来自马萨诸塞大学、海湾合作委员会和史密斯学院的科学家、工程师、大学生和研究生进行互动。学生和老师将收集和分析数据，这些数据将被科学家和工程师用于他们的研究项目，重点关注五个环境研究主题：砷、先锋谷流域研究、天气鼠、空气质量和鸟类。与只提供课堂体验的科学“活动”相比，这种与活跃的研究小组的结合已被证明能为学生提供更丰富的体验。STEMRAYS的研究涉及生物、物理和地球科学的主要概念，以及工程和技术方面的重要思想。分析、绘图和解释数据将有助于发展数学技能。STEMRAYS将支持学校课程，因为与马萨诸塞州数学、科学和技术/工程框架保持一致。课程特色包括在线资源库和职业意识/工作场所活动。学生的项目目标包括提高他们对科学事业的兴趣，提高他们对科学内容的认识以及科学在世界上的作用。教师将增加他们对科学研究过程的理解，他们吸引和激励学生参与科学的能力，以及他们对科学内容的了解。STEMRAYS将深化学校、高等教育机构、非正规教育中心和企业之间的伙伴关系，以支持该项目，并在赠款结束后帮助维持该项目。一个教育研究项目将超越通常的项目评估，研究STEMRAYS研究团队模式对学生和教师的影响。试点阶段将在6所小学开展课外活动，在2所中学开展科学俱乐部活动。继夏季教师讲习班和中学生科学营之后，全面实施将涉及24名教师和大约288名儿童。

This project will provide science research programs for rural grade 4-8 students in after-school and summer programs. The lead partner is the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), which is just outside Franklin County; the other higher education partner is the only college in this county, Greenfield Community College (GCC). Other partners are the county's eight school districts plus local businesses and informal science organizations. STEMRAYS will connect students and teachers with ongoing interdisciplinary environmental research programs in the region, providing them with authentic science experiences and interactions with scientists, engineers and college and graduate students from UMass, GCC and Smith College. Students and teachers will collect and analyze data that will be used by the scientists and engineers in their research projects, focusing on five environmental research themes: Arsenic, Pioneer Valley Watershed Studies, Weather RATS, Air Quality and Birds. This coupling to active research groups has been demonstrated to provide a richer experience for students than do science "activities" that provide only a classroom-based experience. STEMRAYS research involves major concepts in the biological, physical and earth sciences, as well as significant ideas in engineering and technology. Analyzing, graphing and interpreting data will aid in developing mathematical skills. STEMRAYS will support in-school curricula due to alignment with the Massachusetts Math, Science and Technology/ Engineering Framework. Program features include an online resource bank and career awareness/workplace activities. Project goals for students include increasing their interest in science careers, their knowledge of science content and the role of science in the world. Teachers will increase their understanding of the process of doing scientific research, their ability to engage and motivate students in science and their knowledge of science content. STEMRAYS will deepen the partnership among schools, institutions of higher education, informal education centers and business to support the program and to help sustain it after the grant ends. An educational research program will go beyond the usual project evaluation in studying the impact of STEMRAYS research team model on the students and on the teachers. The pilot phase will offer after school programs in six elementary schools and science clubs in two middle schools. Following summer workshops for teachers and a science camp for middle school students, full-scale implementation will involve 24 teachers and approximately 288 children.