EAGER: MAKER: Developing a Model for Expanding Informal Tech Education for Underrepresented Communities through Makerspaces

该项目将推动学生和教师创新技术体验(ITEST)计划的努力，以更好地了解和促进提高学生在科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)领域追求职业生涯的动机和能力的实践。在通过总部位于巴尔的摩的数字港湾基金会(DHF)对少数族裔青年进行技术教育培训的成功方法的基础上，该项目将确定从初中和高中青年开始扩展基于Maker的技术教育计划的高效和有效方法。Maker教育模式为年轻人提供了多个切入点，以获得在高增长技术技能方面的接触、兴趣和技能培养。卫生署模式提供了一种整体的脚手架方法，为教育工作者和组织提供长期支持，因为他们将基于Maker的技术学习融入到他们的青年课程中。项目研究将为扩大青年创业者空间和技术教育方案的最佳做法提供信息，特别是针对代表性不足的青年。制造商、学术界和青年服务社区将从我们的培训材料、技术教育课程和对不同参与战略的评估中受益。这项计划将透过卫生署网站，以及透过会议、论文和分发培训资料，公开分享其经验、资料和策略。这项计划将测试三种专业发展模式：卫星网站、家庭网站和远程参与。目标是找到成本效益高但成功的机制，为非正规教育工作者提供培训，以便在其现有空间内建立一个安全、以青年为重点的创业者空间；提供入门课程，为教育者和青年建立基本能力和创客心态；支持教育工作者将自己的技术项目独立地融入未来的课程和计划活动中。项目研究将：1)比较三种培训和部署方法，将以青年为中心的MakerSpace和入门级课程整合到现有的课外项目中；2)探索一种创新的、脚手架式的专业发展方法，鼓励青年服务提供者拥有项目所有权和持续技能建设。其方法和分析将回应课后项目管理的常见技术和STEM专业发展方法。作为该项目的直接结果，三个服务于不同受众的独立课外项目将获得基本设备、培训和课程，以运营自己的技术教育项目。

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Building on a successful approach to technical education training with minority youth through the Baltimore-based Digital Harbor Foundation (DHF), the project will identify efficient and effective methods of scaling maker-based technology education programs, beginning with middle and high school youth. Maker education models provide multiple points of entry for youth to gain exposure, interest, and skill-building in high-growth technology skills. The DH model presents a holistic, scaffolded approach to providing a long-term support for educators and organizations as they integrate maker-based tech learning into their youth offerings. Project research will inform best practices of scaling youth makerspaces and tech education programs, especially for underrepresented youth. Maker, academic, and youth-service communities will benefit from our training materials, tech education curriculum, and evaluations of diverse engagement strategies. The project will share its experiences, materials, and strategies publicly through DH website, as well as via conferences, papers, as well as dissemination of our training materials.This project will test three professional development models: Satellite-Site, Home-Site, and Remote Engagements. The goal is to find cost-efficient, yet successful mechanisms to disseminate training for informal educators to establish a safe, youth-focused makerspace inside their existing spaces; provide starter curriculum to build basic competencies and maker mindsets for educators and youth; support educators as they independently integrate their own tech projects into future courses and activities in their programs. Project research will: 1) compare three training and deployment methods to integrating a youth-focused makerspace and entry-level curriculum into existing after-school programs; 2) explore an innovative, scaffolded professional development approach that encourages program ownership and continued skill-building for youth-service providers.  Methods and analysis will respond to common techniques of afterschool program management and STEM professional development approaches. As an immediate result of this project, three independent afterschool programs serving diverse audiences will receive basic equipment, training, and curriculum to run their own tech education programs.