Engaging families to enhance science learning and interest in STEM careers

描述（由申请人提供）：科学冒险实验室项目由西雅图儿童研究所于2008年发起，旨在满足华盛顿州学生获得高质量、动手实践的科学教育的需求，并认识到教育与健康之间建立起来的联系。自2009年9月以来，这个45英尺高、最先进的移动科学实验室已经访问了85所不同学校的12600多名学生。该项目专门为资源不足的农村和城市学校提供尖端的科学实验室体验，为那些没有资源和人员提供这种体验的学生提供服务。这个名为“让家庭参与进来，提高科学学习和对STEM职业的兴趣”的拟议项目将利用科学冒险实验室团队在过去两年中开发的最佳实践和经过验证的方法，以及专门为该项目开发的新颖课程模块，并增加至关重要的、结构化的、基于家庭的活动，以鼓励和支持学生对STEM职业的学习和兴趣。我们的假设是，在科学冒险实验室完成两个课程模块将会增加学生的知识，增加对科学的兴趣和对STEM领域职业的认识，而有组织的家庭参与将会扩大这些收获。此外，学生和家庭应进一步了解研究和临床试验对建立健康社区的重要性。

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.