Engaging families to enhance science learning and interest in STEM careers

描述（由申请人提供）：科学冒险实验室计划由西雅图儿童研究所于 2008 年发起，旨在满足华盛顿州学生更好地获得高质量、实践性科学教育的需求，并认识到教育与健康之间已建立的联系。这个 45 英尺、最先进的移动科学实验室自 2009 年 9 月以来已经访问了 85 所不同学校的 12,600 多名学生。该项目专门为资源不足的农村和城市学校提供服务，为没有资源和人员的学生提供尖端的科学实验室体验。这个名为“让家庭加强科学学习和对 STEM 职业兴趣”的拟议项目将利用科学冒险实验室团队过去两年开发的最佳实践和行之有效的方法以及专门为此项目开发的新颖课程模块，并添加至关重要的、结构化的、以家庭为基础的活动，以鼓励和支持学生学习和对 STEM 职业的兴趣。我们的假设是，在科学冒险实验室完成两个课程模块将增加学生的知识、增加对科学的兴趣和对 STEM 领域职业的认识，而结构化的家庭参与将放大这些收益。此外，学生和家庭应该进一步了解研究和临床试验对于建设健康社区的重要性。 该项目每年都会有约 700 名华盛顿州 10 所资源匮乏的城市或乡村学校的四年级学生在科学冒险实验室完成两个新颖的、基于探究的实践课程模块。参与学生的家庭将被邀请参加两项活动。在学校的“科学之夜”上，家庭将与孩子一起完成科学冒险实验室的活动，并获得资源，帮助他们鼓励和支持孩子对科学的兴趣。学年结束时，家庭 将参加西雅图儿童研究所的“科学日”，在那里他们将完成一项后续实践活动，以扩展“科学之夜”期间开发的技能和知识，参观设施，与科学家互动，并了解科学研究和临床试验对于建设健康社区的重要性。 实施该项目将导致制定一个持续的、可持续的家庭活动计划，其中包括可以运送到美国任何地方的学校的家庭科学之夜套件，以及西雅图儿童研究所为家庭举办的定期活动。 公共健康相关性（由申请人提供）：该项目将在科学探险实验室（一个最先进的移动科学实验室）上每年向大约 700 名小学四年级学生提供创新的实践科学教育，并增加至关重要的、结构化的、以家庭为基础的活动，以鼓励和支持学生学习和对 STEM 职业的兴趣。该项目的结果是，将建立一个持续的、可持续的家庭活动计划，其中包括可以运送到学校的家庭科学之夜套件，以及西雅图儿童研究所的家庭科学日。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Science Adventure Lab program was initiated by Seattle Children's Research Institute in 2008 to address the need for improved access of students in Washington state to high-quality, hands-on science education and in recognition of the well-established connection between education and health. This 45 foot, state-of-the-art mobile science laboratory has visited over 12,600 students at 85 different schools since September 2009. The program specifically serves under-resourced rural and urban schools by providing cutting-edge science laboratory experiences to students where resources and personnel to offer this are not available. This proposed project entitled "Engaging families to enhance science learning and interest in STEM careers" will utilize the best practices and proven approaches developed over the past two years by the Science Adventure Lab team together with novel curriculum modules developed specifically for this project, and add critically-important, structured, family-based activities that will encourage and support student learning and interest in STEM careers. Our hypothesis is that completing two curriculum modules onboard the Science Adventure Lab will result in gains in student knowledge, increased interest in science and awareness of careers in the STEM fields, and that structured family involvement will amplify those gains. Additionally, students and families are expected to develop an increased understanding of the importance of research and clinical trials for building a healthy community. Each year of the project, ~ 700 fourth-graders at ten under-resourced urban or rural schools in Washington state will complete two novel, inquiry-based, hands-on curriculum modules onboard the Science Adventure Lab. Families of participating students will be invited to attend two events. At "Science Night" at the school, families will complete an activity on the Science Adventure Lab together with their children and be provided with resources that will help them encourage and support their children's interest in science. At the end of the school year, families will attend "Science Day" at Seattle Children's Research Institute where they will complete a follow-up, hands-on activity that extends the skills and knowledge developed during "Science Night", tour the facility, interact with scientists and learn about the importance of scientific research and clinical trials for building a healthy community. Implementing this project will result in the development of an ongoing, sustainable program of family-based activities that includes Family Science Night kits that can be shipped to schools anywhere in the U.S., and regular events for families at Seattle Children's Research Institute. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): This project will deliver innovative hands-on Science education on the Science Adventure Lab, a state-of-the-art mobile science laboratory, to ~700 fourth grade students annually at elementary schools, and add critically-important, structured, family-based activities that will encourage and support student learning and interest in STEM careers. As a result of this project, an ongoing, sustainable program of family-based activities will be established that includes Family Science Night kits that can be shipped to schools, and Family Science Days at Seattle Children's Research Institute.