Teen Science Cafes: Technology in Response to Floods Caused by Hurrican Harvey

作为在非正式环境中加强学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习(AISL)计划为各种环境中使用的创新研究、方法和资源提供资金。技术在应急管理和公共安全方面的应用正在迅速兴起，但学校的STEM课程可能需要数年时间才能赶上已经部署在该领域的技术。S青少年科学咖啡馆等非正式学习环境为年轻人提供了一个学习技术等快速发展的STEM领域的诱人场所。飓风哈维造成的洪水和破坏为他们提供了及时的学习机会。除了开发学习技术的新材料外，该项目还将提供急需的基线研究，以了解青少年对技术、技术职业和应急准备的理解。利用NSF资助的青少年科学咖啡馆的强大平台，缅因州数学与科学联盟将利用其与科学教育解决方案的现有合作伙伴关系，以飓风哈维为模型和案例研究，为青少年科学咖啡馆开发和实施一系列教育活动、工具和资源，专注于社区洪水事件和应对。这些材料将侧重于传感器技术、数据可视化、社交媒体和其他移动通信应用程序的进步，这些应用程序用于检测、监测和应对洪水和自然灾害。缅因州的20个地点将接受这套材料。目标是让至少600名青年参加主题咖啡馆S，重点讲述技术是如何被用来应对哈维的，以及如何被用来更广泛地管理和应对洪水。一个重要的相关目标是进行基线研究，了解青少年目前对洪水相关技术的了解，以及他们从德克萨斯州、佛罗里达州和加勒比海岛屿最近的洪水中学到的经验。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative research, approaches and resources for use in a variety of settings. The uses of technologies in emergency management and public safety are emerging rapidly, but it could take years for school STEM curricula to catch up with the technologies that are already being deployed in the field. Informal learning environments, such as Teen Science Cafés, provide a compelling venue for youth learning about rapidly-developing STEM fields such as technology. The floods and devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey provide a timely learning opportunity for them. This project, in addition to developing new materials for learning about technologies, will provide much-needed baseline research on teens' understanding of technology, technology careers, and emergency preparedness.Leveraging the robust platform of the NSF-funded Teen Science Café, the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance will build upon its existing partnership with Science Education Solutions to develop and implement a package of educational activities, tools, and resources for a Teen Science Café that is focused on community flood events and response, using Hurricane Harvey as a model and case study. The materials will focus on advances in sensor technology, data visualization, social media, and other mobile communication apps used to detect, monitor and respond to flooding and natural disasters. The package of materials will be embraced by 20 sites in Maine. The goal is to engage at least 600 youth in themed Cafés focusing on how technology was used to respond to Harvey and is being used to manage and respond to flooding more generally. An important related goal is to conduct baseline research on what teens currently know about the flood-related technologies, as well as what they learn about it from this experience derived from recent floods in Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean islands.