Integrating Science Into Afterschool: A Three-Dimensional Approach To Engaging Underserved Populations In Science

ITEST战略项目“将科学融入课后”建立在先前nsf资助的工作基础上，旨在开发一个三维（3-D）战略，以吸引缺乏服务的青少年、家庭和课后辅导员全年进行科学学习，并接触科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域的职业。该项目利用费城城市的社区伙伴关系，包括富兰克林研究所、公共部门实体和社区组织，在课后、家庭和社区的多个接入点提供STEM教育经验。整合科学以小学年龄的学生（3-5年级）及其家庭为目标，旨在战略性地建立各种利益相关者的网络，以发展，实施和研究：1)以社区为基础的小学儿童课外项目中的科学项目学习（PBL）单元；2)以主题为基础的家庭活动，旨在让家庭成员在舒适的家中参与科学探索；3)以建立职业联系为重点的家庭科学活动，这些活动将由举办课外项目的社区组织和博物馆共同主办。将科学融入课后活动将为费城市区的60名员工、450名3-5年级的学生和450个家庭提供服务。此外，“整合科学”项目将在非传统学习环境中培养科学教育工作者的能力，培养家长对STEM的支持，并更好地了解社区如何提高对科学学习和STEM职业的认识和获取。整合科学有潜力通过现有的合作伙伴在地区、州和全国范围内维持和扩大这一概念验证模式。长期成果包括使用这个3d模型来解决领域内的重要问题，包括课后项目如何影响儿童对科学的认同感，如何鼓励和支持父母成为科学和他们孩子的科学职业道路的倡导者，以及确定未被充分代表的群体如何理解、重视和促进STEM内容和职业。该项目的评估将包括使用比较组和有效、规范的调查，以了解对学生、家庭和课后辅导员的影响。

Integrating Science into Afterschool, an ITEST Strategies project, builds upon prior NSF-funded work to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) strategy for engaging underserved youth, families, and afterschool facilitators in year-round science learning and exposure to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The project leverages community partnerships in urban Philadelphia, including The Franklin Institute, public sector entities and community organizations, to deliver the STEM education experience in the multiple access points of afterschool, home, and community. Integrating Science targets elementary aged students (grades 3-5) and their families, and aims to strategically network a diverse set of stakeholders to develop, implement, and study: 1) science project-based learning (PBL) units in community-based afterschool programs for elementary-age children, 2) thematically-linked home-based activities designed to engage family members in science explorations in the comfort of their home, and 3) family science events focused on building career linkages that will be hosted by both the community-based organizations hosting afterschool programs as well as the museum. Integrating Science into Afterschool will serve a total of 60 staff, 450 students in grades 3-5 and 450 families in urban Philadelphia. Additionally, Integrating Science will build the capacity of science educators in nontraditional learning environments, cultivate parent support for STEM, and provide a better understanding of the ways in which communities can increase awareness of and access to science learning and STEM careers. Integrating Science has the potential to sustain and expand this proof-of-concept model through existing partners regionally, statewide, and nationwide. Long-term outcomes include using this 3-D model to address important questions within the field including how afterschool programs impact children's sense of identity in science, how parents can be encouraged and supported to become advocates of science and of science career pathways for their children, and identifying ways in which underrepresented groups come to understand, value, and promote STEM content and careers. Evaluation of the project will include the use of comparison groups and valid, normed surveys to understand the impact on students, families and afterschool facilitators.