Using Guided Nature Experiences To Engage 18-25 Year-Olds in STEM and Climate Science Content

美国鱼类和野生动物管理局估计，超过4100万人通过观鸟与大自然联系在一起。在自然环境中了解鸟类为广泛的个人和团体提供了非正式参与STEM的机会。观鸟者经常从事科学数据收集和分析、地理定位和遥感以及物候学。他们还意识到由于气温上升和与气候相关的事件，如海平面上升，干旱，火灾和极端天气，鸟类栖息地和迁徙模式的生态变化。因此，观鸟社区是一个理想的网络，以更好地了解和沟通气候变化对鸟类种群的影响。通过这个发展创新项目，国家奥杜邦学会将为其自然中心开发一个新的以鸟类为重点的保护和气候科学社区科学课程，并通过引导自然体验来测试课程在教育公众以鸟类为重点的保护和气候变化方面的有效性。观鸟可以作为年轻人进入STEM领域和职业的关键入口。通过其计划和合作伙伴关系，奥杜邦将利用其全国网络，以确保通过这个项目，一个更多样化的群体的声音-特别是年轻的成年人和有色人种的年轻人-成为参与提出关键问题，并制定解决方案，以解决未来的重要环境问题。如果成功的话，这个项目对能力建设和公众参与的更广泛的影响可能是深远和持久的。在三年的项目期间，奥杜邦将从其全国34个自然中心网络（包括城市，郊区和农村地区）带来教育工作者，以及510多名来自大学校园分会网络的年轻人（18-25岁）。 将创建和测试基于证据的课程和社区科学活动，主要依靠鸟类学，气候科学研究，STEM课程设计，多样性和非正式科学教育的专家团队。大学生将建议内容和活动的设计，以有效地吸引和吸引年轻人。这些学生将从新的奥杜邦校园分会计划中招募，该计划包括111所学院和大学校园，其中包括19所历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）以及其他少数民族服务机构（MSI）。还将对目标人群进行调查，以了解他们目前和可能参与指导性自然体验和气候科学知识库的情况。目前在引导自然体验的最佳实践将从整个奥杜邦网络收集。实施工作将产生一个国家STEM模型，为非正式科学教育工作者提供培训员指南和讲习班，并提供公众参与机会，重点是通过气候科学研究改善鸟类栖息地和社区的状况和条件。将进行外部评价，包括数据收集方法，如回顾性前后调查、半结构化访谈、焦点小组和确定影响的嵌入式评估。研究结果将用于迭代完善循证课程，并衡量引导自然体验参与者的STEM学习成果。评估将涉及四个方面：（1）方案执行的忠实性，以促进问责制;（2）形成性评估，以了解年轻人的需求和兴趣（18-25岁），并随后通知程序设计;（3）中心教育工作者的成果，通知迭代改进;以及（4）项目参与者的成果，以促进非正式环境中STEM学习有效实践的知识基础不断增长。这个创新发展项目是由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划，旨在推进新的方法，并以证据为基础的理解，在非正式环境中的STEM学习的设计和开发资助。这包括提供多种途径，以扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验，推进创新研究和评估的STEM学习在非正式环境中，并发展的理解，更深层次的学习参与者。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响力审查标准的支持。

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that over 41 million people connect to nature through birding. Learning about birds in their natural environments offers opportunities for informal engagement in STEM by a broad range of individuals and groups. Birders often engage in scientific data gathering and analyses, geolocation and remote sensing, and phenology. They also become aware of ecological changes in bird habitats and migratory patterns due to rising temperatures and climate-related events like sea level rise, droughts, fires, and extreme weather. As such, the birding community is an ideal network to better understand and communicate the impacts of climatological changes on bird populations to the public. With this Innovations in Development project, the National Audubon Society will develop a new avian-focused, conservation and climate science community science curriculum for its Nature Centers, and test the effectiveness of the curriculum in educating the public about avian-focused conservation and climatological changes through guided nature experiences. Birding can serve as a pivotal entrée for young people into STEM fields and careers. Through its programs and partnerships, Audubon will leverage its national network to ensure that through this project a more diverse group of voices – particularly young adults and young adults of color – become involved in asking critical questions and developing solutions to address important environmental issues of the future. If successful, the broader impacts of this project on capacity building and public engagement could be far-reaching and long-lasting.Over the three-year project duration, Audubon will bring educators from its nationwide network of thirty-four Nature Centers (including urban, suburban, and rural sites), together with over 510 young adults (ages 18-25) from its network of college campus chapters. An evidence-based curriculum and community science activities will be created and tested, relying heavily on a team of experts in ornithology, climate science research, STEM curriculum design, diversity, and informal science education. College students will advise on the design of content and activities to effectively interest and engage young adults. These students will be recruited from the new Audubon Campus Chapters Program, which includes 111 college and university campuses – among them, 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The target population will be surveyed to also understand their current and likely participation in guided nature experiences and knowledge base in climate science. Current best practices in guided nature experiences will be gathered from across the Audubon network. The implementation efforts will result in a national STEM model, with train-the-trainer guides and workshops for informal science educators and public engagement opportunities focused on improving the state and condition of avian habitats and communities through climate science research. An external evaluation will be conducted and will include data collection methods such as retrospective pre and post surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and an embedded assessment to determine impact. The findings will be used to iteratively refine the evidence-based curriculum and measure STEM learning outcomes for the guided nature experience participants. The evaluation will address four areas: (1) fidelity of program implementation to promote accountability; (2) formative evaluation to understand needs and interests of young adults (ages 18-25), and subsequently inform program design; (3) outcomes for Center educators, to inform iterative improvement; and (4) outcomes for program participants, to contribute to the growing knowledge base on effective practices for STEM learning in informal settings. This Innovations in Development project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.