Strategies: SISTERS: Sustaining Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research in Society

姐妹项目通过一个理论驱动的课后科学和工程教育项目，为来自低收入社区的五年级和六年级的女孩加强学校课程。女孩们参与科学和工程课程，具有丰富的技术，实践经验，培养批判性思维和工程实践。他们发现并开始欣赏迭代的研究过程，并学会正确使用技术资源，这为他们追求未来的STEM学习和职业建立了信心。每年，来自恩西尼塔斯学区四所学校的八名特别挑选的正式和非正式教育工作者，以及来自加州大学圣地亚哥分校的八名女工科本科学生，每周两次为大约100名女孩主持课后科学课，重点是解决太阳能和能源效率方面的社会相关问题。其他活动包括每年两次的实地考察，每年两次的家庭科学活动，与女性专业人士的会议和一个顶点团队挑战项目。为讲师和本科生提供为期一周的专业发展，让他们修改和使用课程，并整合环境传感器。该项目代表了一所全国性研究型大学和当地学区之间的战略合作伙伴关系，以创建一个创新的试点项目，可以作为其他国家效仿的可扩展和可复制的模式。该项目研究了与榜样的互动以及与社会相关的科学和工程挑战的使用如何影响五年级和六年级女孩的自我效能感、STEM内容和她们对STEM职业的兴趣。该评价还衡量了教师在实践中的变化。通过调查、焦点小组和观察收集信息。通过一些正在使用的活动开发的有效评估用于测量学生对工程实践和科学概念的知识。本项目介入了STEM学科学生自我效能感发展的关键时期。学生们与积极的榜样建立关系，培养他们对科学、数学和STEM职业的持续兴趣。

The SISTERS project reinforces the school curriculum through a theory-driven, after- school science and engineering education program for girls in grades 5 and 6 from low income communities. The girls are engaged in science and engineering lessons with technology-rich, hands-on experiences which foster critical thinking, and engineering practices. They discover and come to appreciate the iterative research process and learn the proper use of technological resources which builds their confidence in pursuing future STEM learning and careers. Each year, eight specially selected formal and informal educators from four schools in the Encinitas School district and eight female undergraduate engineering students from the University of California at San Diego lead twice-weekly after school science classes for about 100 girls focusing on solving socially relevant problems in solar energy and energy efficacy. Other activities include twice yearly field trips, twice yearly family science events, meetings with female professionals and a capstone team challenge project. A week-long professional development for the instructors and undergraduate students is offered for them to modify and use the lessons and to integrate environmental sensors. This project represents a strategic partnership between a nationally engaged research university and a local school district to create an innovative pilot program that can serve as a scalable and replicable model for others to follow. The project studies how the interaction with role models and the use of socially relevant scientific and engineering challenges impact fifth and sixth grade girls' self-efficacy, STEM content and their interest in STEM Careers. The evaluation also measures teachers' change in practice. Information is gathered through surveys, focus groups and observations. Validated assessments developed with some of the activities being used are used to measure student knowledge of engineering practices and science concepts. The project intervenes at a critical time in student development of self-efficacy in STEM subjects. The students develop relationships with positive role models that foster a continued interest in science and mathematics and STEM careers.