Assessing the Landscape for Creating High School STEM Research Experiences Within Living Laboratory

科学博物馆（MOS）将举办一次会议和相关活动，以考虑如何通过科学研究和科学传播经验培养高中学生的STEM劳动力。 这项工作将借鉴并扩大美国国家科学基金会资助的国家生活实验室网络的范围，该网络目前涉及48个州和21个国家的350多个机构。 国家生活实验室倡议涉及大学研究人员和博物馆专业人员，在博物馆环境中与公众，主要是有幼儿的家庭共同开展研究和科学交流活动。 研究和交流的重点是与幼儿发展有关的认知科学。虽然许多科学家和博物馆专业人员有兴趣将高中的研究经验融入他们的实践中，特别是对于代表性不足的年轻人，但博物馆和大学的现有基础设施限制了经验的质量和机构可以支持的学生数量。国家生活实验室社区目前的学术和博物馆成员已经确定了一个机会，通过利用生活实验室框架，促进青年参与STEM的共同兴趣和知识。该项目包括会前和会后活动，并将在马萨诸塞州波士顿举行一次研讨会，召集一批科学研究和博物馆专业人员，以：1）记录当前让高中年龄青年参与认知科学研究活动的机会和挑战; 2）概述通过生活实验室让青年参与研究和科学传播的战略，特别强调认知科学;通过这两个领域的现有交流渠道，编写并传播关于研讨会成果的报告。 该项目包括会前对专业人员进行的关于该专题的调查以及对项目活动和成果的评价。它由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。

The Museum of Science (MOS) will conduct a conference and associated activities to consider ways to foster the STEM workforce via both science research and science communications experiences for students at the high school level. The work will draw on and expand the scope in the USA of the NSF-funded National Living Laboratory Network which currently involves more than 350 institutions across 48 states and 21 countries. The National Living Laboratory initiative involves university researchers and museum professionals in co-implementing research and science communications activities in museum settings with the public, primarily families with young children. The research and communications focus is on cognitive science pertaining to the development of young children. While many scientists and museum professionals are interested in integrating high school research experiences into their practices, particularly for under-represented youth, existing infrastructure at museums and universities limits the quality of experiences and quantity of students that institutions can support. Current academic and museum members of the National Living Laboratory community have identified an opportunity to advance shared interests and knowledge in engaging youth in STEM by leveraging the Living Laboratory framework. This project involves pre- and post- conference activities and will convene a group of science research and museum professionals at a workshop in Boston, MA to: 1) document current opportunities and challenges in engaging high-school aged youth in cognitive science research activities; 2) outline strategies to engage youth in research and science communication through Living Laboratory, with particular emphasis on cognitive sciences; and 3) create and disseminate a report on workshop outcomes through existing communication channels in both fields. The project includes pre-conference surveys of professionals about the topic and an evaluation of the project activities and outcomes. It is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments.