Creating a National Infrastructure of Support for Extended Explorations in Science and Engineering in After-school Programs

EDC和劳伦斯科学馆提出了一种密集的、创新的指导和专业发展模式，该模式将建立社区组织（cbo）的能力，以便在课后项目中向儿童提供高质量的科学和工程课程。该计划的目标是缓解课后STEM提供者的两个一贯问题：高流动率和领导/教授高质量科学活动的能力。该项目将在该国的三个区域建立一个广泛的培训人员网络，利用两个建立良好、值得信赖的国家非正规教育网络的专门知识和协作。广泛的合作涉及14个组织，包括9个科学中心（大小不一），3个州4-H机构，国家4-H委员会和EDC。本项目的主要受众是目前（或将来可能）培训CBO员工的培训师（科学中心、4-H等）。EDC、LHS和三个“导师”科学中心将监督这些培训，并开发新的PD资源，旨在提高CBO工作人员从这些培训师和其他培训师那里接受的培训质量。全国4-H理事会将通过4-H全国网络帮助协调产品的培训和传播。古德曼研究小组将对该项目进行形成性和总结性评估。可交付成果：该项目将提供：1)长期培训和支持的模式，以建立cbo与儿童一起领导高质量科学和工程课程的能力；2)指导模式，支持和监督直接与cbo合作的培训师；3)专业发展工具和资源，旨在提高向国会预算办公室员工提供的培训质量。对战略的影响:该项目将通过以下方式对全国课后专业发展领域产生影响：(a)展示科学中心、4-H和其他培训人员如何建立cbo的能力，以改善他们与儿童一起领导科学和工程项目的方式；(b)培养一批指导机构骨干，以帮助其他机构采用这种能力建设和专业发展模式。(c)开发专业发展工具和资源，以提高培训者向国会预算办公室工作人员提供的培训质量。合作伙伴：三个“导师”机构是：(1)劳伦斯科学馆，(2)明尼苏达科学博物馆，(3)波士顿儿童博物馆。六个科学中心包括：(1)俄亥俄州托莱多市的COSI托莱多；(2)美国明尼苏达州贝米吉市水源科学中心；(3)罗德岛普罗维登斯儿童博物馆；(4)纽约州罗切斯特市罗切斯特博物馆和科学中心；(5)德克萨斯州阿灵顿的River Legacy生物科学中心；(6) explorora在Albuquerque， NM。三个4-H伙伴包括(1)4-H新罕布什尔州，(2)4-H明尼苏达州和(3)4-H加利福尼亚州。

EDC and the Lawrence Hall of Science propose an intensive, innovative mentoring and professional development model that will build the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) to deliver high-quality science and engineering curricula to children in after-school programs. The program's goal is to alleviate two consistent problems of after-school STEM providers: high turnover rate and the ability to lead/teach high quality science activities. The project will put in place a broad network of trainers in three regions of the country, leveraging the expertise and collaboration of two well-established and trusted national informal education networks. The extensive collaboration involves 14 organizations total including nine science centers (of varying sizes), three state 4-H agencies, the National 4-H Council and EDC.The primary audience for this project is the trainers (science center, 4-H, others) who currently (or may in the future) train CBO staff. EDC, LHS, and three "mentor" science centers will supervise these trainings and develop the new PD resources designed to improve the quality of training that CBO staff receive from these and other trainers. The National 4-H Council will help coordinate training and dissemination of products through the 4-H national network Goodman Research Group will conduct formative and summative evaluations of the project.DELIVERABLES: This project will deliver: 1) a model of prolonged training and support to build the capacity of CBOs to lead high quality science and engineering curricula with children; 2) a mentoring model to support and supervise trainers who work directly with CBOs; and 3) professional development tools and resources designed to improve the quality of training delivered to CBO staff.STRATEGIC IMPACT: This project will impact the national after-school professional development field by (a) demonstrating a model for how science-center, 4-H, and other trainers can build the capacity of CBOs to improve the way they lead science and engineering projects with children, (b) nurturing a cadre of mentor institutions to assist others to adopt this capacity-building and professional-development model, and (c) developing professional development tools and resources that improve the quality of training delivered by trainers to CBO staff.COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS: The three "mentor" institutions are: (1) the Lawrence Hall of Science, (2) the Science Museum of Minnesota, and (3) the Boston Children's Museum. The six science centers include (1) COSI Toledo in Toledo, OH; (2) Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji, MN; (3) Providence Children's Museum in Providence, RI; (4) Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, NY; (5) River Legacy Living Science Center in Arlington, TX; and (6) Explora in Albuquerque, NM. The three 4-H partners include (1) 4-H New Hampshire, (2) 4- H Minnesota, and (3) 4-H California.