Science Club: Building A Science Community Partnership with the Boys & Girls Club

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请的目标是设计、实施和评估一个基于探究的课后科学指导计划，该计划是与芝加哥罗伯特·r·麦考密克男孩和女孩俱乐部合作开发的，适用于五年级至七年级的中学生。我们的长期目标是通过设计和支持教育项目，让年轻人参与到生物医学科学的挑战、希望和奇迹中来，解决青年脱离社会、少数民族代表性不足和科学素养低下等问题。需要培育和发展美国科学和保健事业的多样性和质量，并向所有美国青年提供成为21世纪民主国家知情成员所需的科学和循证分析技能，从而强调了发展新的、有效的生物医学科学参与方法的重要性。此外，申请人通过衡量科学成就、态度、职业方向和抱负等具体结果，解决了确定有效的课后科学项目背后因素的重要需求。此外，我们将深入了解导致科学家参与科学推广活动的个人动机和职业动机——以及在培训的早期阶段参与推广活动是否会影响科学家对推广活动的长期态度和参与。具体来说，我们的目标是：1)为以社区为中心的青年生物医学科学参与开发一种基于导师的模式，使用正在接受培训的科学家导师；2)利用现有的NIH和nsf资助项目，并通过实地考察、科学展览和科学写作机会提供支持，选择、定制和实施一套六个主题的、基于探究的生物医学科学活动；3)在芝加哥男孩女孩俱乐部、西北大学之间建立计划和智力联系；John T. McCutcheon小学（P/K-8）和其他学术合作伙伴，以及4)评估、传播和扩展社区外展模式。除了解决以青少年和成人为基础的生物医学科学参与的迫切需求外，我们期望我们的社区和导师为基础的方法将成为未来涉及中学生、他们的家庭和学术社区伙伴关系的科学参与项目的典范。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this application is to design, implement and evaluate an inquiry-based after school science mentorship program for middle school youth, grades five to seven, developed in partnership with and located at the Robert R. McCormick Boys and Girls Club of Chicago. Our long-range goal is to address issues of youth disengagement, minority under-representation, and poor scientific literacy by designing and supporting educational programs that engage youth in the challenge, promise, and wonder of biomedical science. The importance of developing new, effective approaches for biomedical science engagement is underscored by the need to nurture and grow the diversity and quality of America's scientific and health-care enterprise, and to provide all American youth with the scientific and evidence-based analysis skills they require to be informed members of a 21st century democracy. In addition, the applicant addresses the important need to identify the factors that underlie effective after school science programs by measuring specific outcomes like science achievement, attitudes, and career directions and aspirations. In addition, we will provide insight into the personal and professional motivations that lead scientists to engage in science outreach activities- and whether or not participating in outreach during the early stages of training can influence scientists' longer-term attitudes and engagement in outreach. Specifically, we aim to: 1) Develop a mentorship-based model for community-centered youth biomedical science engagement using mentors who are scientists in training, 2) Select, tailor, and implement a set of six themed, inquiry-based biomedical science activities leveraging existing NIH- and NSF-funded projects and supported by field trips, science fairs, and scientific writing Opportunities, 3) Develop programmatic and intellectual linkages between the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, Northwestern University, John T. McCutcheon Elementary School (P/K-8), and other academic partners, and 4) Evaluate, disseminate, and expand the model of community-based outreach. In addition to addressing the acute need for youth- and adult-based biomedical science engagement, it is our expectation that our community- and mentor-based approach will serve as a model for future science engagement programs involving middle school youth, their families, and academic-community partnerships. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): America's health care system is critically dependent on a highly-trained network of scientists, physicians, and other health care workers. The future quality, quantity and diversity of this workforce is at risk. This application seeks to stimulate youth interest and engagement in science by developing a mentor-based after school science program for middle school students, in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.