Collaborative Research: Broad Implementation of Science Festival Alliance

这个更广泛的实施项目将建立一个由个人和机构组成的专业网络，提高他们发展、实施和评估大型社区科学节影响的能力。该项目建立在先前的一个奖项的基础上，该奖项支持在马萨诸塞州剑桥市实施科学节；旧金山，圣地亚哥和费城。每个节日都有5 -7万人参加，其中许多是来自低收入的少数民族社区的家庭。节日的组织者和参与者包括科学中心从业人员、科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）研究人员、STEM相关企业、公共电视STEM生产商、大学、K-12学校、政府和基金会利益相关者。总结性评估表明，参与者的STEM兴趣、学习和与社区STEM资源的联系受到了显著影响。全国各地的科学节越来越多。因此，这个新项目将创建一个专业网络，为非正式科学教育（ISE）领域的专业人员和其他利益相关者带来许多好处，包括：及时获得与科学节相关的信息、知识和经验；面对挑战时可以利用的丰富关系；诚信的节日理念；能够与多个节日合作，扩大现有ISE机构和项目的影响范围；知识和创新的传播；集体智慧和包容性协商。预计该网络将在资助期间支持大约50个科学节。将为网络的长期可持续性和科学节的后续发展制定商业计划。这是一个与4个项目合作伙伴的合作提案，他们在创建和维持网络方面发挥着不同的作用：麻省理工学院、加州大学旧金山分校、北卡罗来纳大学/莫尔黑德天文馆和科学中心，以及富兰克林研究所。麻省理工学院的项目成果包括主持网络的中央管理和行政功能，提供会议、研讨会、对新的科学节冠军的个人指导，维护网络网站等。加州大学旧金山分校将开发工具、资源和联系，以增加科学家对节日的参与。北卡罗来纳大学/莫尔黑德天文馆和科学中心将为全州的节日组织提供专业知识。富兰克林研究所将通过编程实例、社区资产分析工具和网络研讨会，帮助网络参与者建立与低收入家庭接触的能力。这种多中心的方法是为科学节组织者创建和维持第一个专业网络的一种新的创新策略。项目评估将重点关注网络的活力、连通性和效果。网络活力影响数据将收集关于成员如何分享目标、增强领导力、扩大地域和模式多样性。网络连通性评估将研究SFA网络内关系的强度和增长。网络效应将研究科学节联盟（SFA）网络实现科学节组织能力的方式，包括科学节数量的增加、地理分布、科学节创新以及SFA可持续性计划的存在。这个项目将增加关于网络对发展的影响和全国各地科学节影响的新知识。

This broader implementation project will create a professional network of individuals and institutions increasing their capacity to develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of large scale community science festivals. The project builds on a previous award that supported the implementation of science festivals in Cambridge, MA; San Francisco, San Diego, and Philadelphia. Each festival reached 50-70,000 attendees, many of them families from low-income, ethnic communities. Festival organizers and participants include science center practitioners, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) researchers, STEM related businesses, public television STEM producers, universities, K-12 schools, and government and foundation stakeholders. The summative evaluation indicated significant impacts on participant's STEM interest, learning, and connections to STEM resources in their community. The number of science festivals across the country is increasing. Consequently this new project will create a professional network with numerous benefits to professionals in the Informal Science Education (ISE) field and other stakeholders including: timely access to information, knowledge and experience related to science festivals; rich relationships to draw on when facing challenges; credibility of the festival concept; ability to partner with multiple festivals and magnify the reach of existing ISE institutions and program; diffusion of knowledge and innovation; and collective intelligence and inclusive consultation. It is expected that the network will involve supporting approximately 50 science festivals during the grant period. A business plan will be developed for long term sustainability of the network and the subsequent growth of science festivals. This is a collaborative proposal with 4 project partners who have distinct roles in creating and sustaining the network: MIT, University of California at San Francisco, University of North Carolina/Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, and The Franklin Institute.MIT's project deliverables include hosting the central management and administrative functions of the network and providing conferences, workshops, individual mentoring of new science festival champions, maintaining the network website, etc. UCSF will develop tools, resources, and linkages to increase participation of scientists in festivals. UNC/Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will provide expertise in statewide festival organizing. The Franklin Institute will help network participants build capacity for engaging low-income families with programming examples, community asset analysis tools, and webinars. This multi-hub approach is a new innovative strategy for creating and sustaining the first ever professional network for science festival organizers.The project evaluation will focus on the network's vibrancy, connectivity and effect. Network vibrancy impact data will be collected on how members share goals, enhance leadership, and expand geographic and model diversity. Network connectivity evaluation will study the strength and growth of the relationships within the SFA network. Network effects will study the ways the Science Festival Alliance (SFA) network is achieving science festival organizational capacity looking at increases in the number of science festivals, geographic spread, science festival innovations, and the presence of a SFA sustainability plan.This project will add new knowledge about the impact of networks on the development and impact of science festivals throughout the country.