Building STEM capacity through science center activity in Sri Lanka

这笔赠款支持一个研讨会，重点是通过网络和国际合作促进斯里兰卡和美国的STEM教育研发。该研讨会是由美国科学技术中心协会(ASTC)和斯里兰卡国家科学基金会合作举办的。它的重点是ASTC与斯里兰卡分享其丰富的专业知识，在科伦坡创建一个科学中心，让该国人民参与到一个可访问的科学学习环境中，并为其青年提供科学概念和实践的基础。为期三天的研讨会将在斯里兰卡科伦坡举行，将使这些专家参与讨论和共同创建在斯里兰卡建立科学中心的计划，并考虑如何在美国的非正式STEM教育工作者和斯里兰卡的STEM教育工作者之间发展持续的关系。研讨会将涵盖对发展一个有效和成功的科学中心至关重要的主题，包括：1--基于探究的学习和开发有效的展品和方案2--评估工具和技术3--可以影响规划和方案的当地科学知识和专门知识4-制定有效的外展方案5-公众参与科学和社会问题6-管理科学中心虽然将科学中心的发展作为会议的焦点，但研讨会还将发起南亚地区和美国STEM教育工作者之间的讨论，目标是在南亚地区的STEM教育工作者和美国之间发展长期的关系。一位或多位美国演讲者和受邀的美国博士生将探索和确定关于STEM教育的新研究问题，以及科学中心作为提高发展中国家STEM人力资源能力的新模式的作用。研讨会的成果还将促进未来的国际合作，并为服务于在美国的南亚移民人口的努力提供信息。该奖项被指定为全球风险基金奖，由美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

This grant supports a workshop focused on catalyzing STEM education R & D in Sri Lanka and in the U.S. through networking and international collaboration. The workshop is a collaboration of the US Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. Its focus is for ASTC to share its wealth of expertise with Sri Lanka in the creation of a science center in Colombo that will engage its people in an accessible science-learning environment and provide its youth with grounding in the scientific concepts and practices.The three day workshop to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, will engage these experts in the discussion and co-creation of a plan for a science center to be built in Sri Lanka, and to consider how to develop an ongoing relationship between informal STEM educators in the US and STEM educators in Sri Lanka. The workshop will cover subjects critical to the development of an effective and successful science center, including: 1 - Inquiry-based learning and the development of effective exhibits and programs 2 - Evaluation tools and techniques 3 - Local scientific knowledge and expertise that can influence planning and programing 4 - Developing effective outreach programs 5 - Public Engagement with science and society issues 6 - Managing a science centerWhile using the development of the science center as a focus for the meeting, the workshop will also initiate discussions between STEM educators in the South Asia region and the United States, with the goal of developing a long-term relationship between STEM educators in the South Asia region and the United States. One or more of the US speakers and the invited US doctoral student will explore and identify new research questions on STEM education and the role of science centers as a new model for improving human resource capacities in STEM in developing countries. The workshop outcome should also advance future international collaborations and inform efforts to serve immigrant populations from South Asia in the US.This award is designated as a Global Venture Fund Award and is being co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.