Chabot Space and Science Center seeks support to engage in a six-month planning process for "Imagine That!," a multi-faceted science and technology career exploration program. In partnership with the Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science & Technology (CREHST) and the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE), Chabot proposes to fill the gap between well-intentioned and designed programs and the programs' abilities to really influence/affect future career choices by participants. "Imagine That!" will familiarize youth with a wide range of careers in scientific and technical fields through after-school and summer programs that offer in-depth career exploration and guidance activities, hands-on experiences that complement science education in school and an introduction to role models. "Imagine That!" will also provide parents with resources to support their children as they explore potential careers in science, technology and engineering. This planning grant will enable the three major science museums, Junior Achievement and government and business partners to develop the logistics for working together on an ambitious collaborative program of national scope. "Imagine That!" has the potential for broad and significant impact. Not only would it create a national program of career exploration, it will strengthen and diversify the STEM workforce. The national impact of this project is assured by the inclusion of geographically diverse partners, regional advisory councils and a robust dissemination plan.
The Museum of Science will partner with four other informal science education institutions to plan a nationwide distributed research project that will explore universal access to informal learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in museums. This planning project will determine domains of access-related research, establish a core set of advisors to assist with the development of the research agenda, coordinate the selection of topics for investigation and define areas where a shared research protocol might be appropriate for studies conducted at partner institutions. Research initially will be focused on visitors with disabilities who have traditionally been marginalized from many museum experiences.
The St. Louis Science Center, in collaboration with the City College of New York and the Science Museum of Minnesota, will combine their considerable expertise with youth programs to create new opportunities for after-school STEM learning. Teens, ages 14-17, currently participating in the "Youth Exploring Science" program at the St. Louis Science Center and the Youth Science Center at the Science Museum of Minnesota will receive intensive training to prepare them to assume the role of lead designers of Learning Places that will be created in nine-after school programs in St. Louis and St. Paul. "Learning Places" are educational environments supported by hands-on activities and innovative strategies that integrate science, mathematics and technology into after-school programs. In the final year of the grant the project will be disseminated to five museums across the US including the Pacific Science Center (Seattle, WA), Headwaters Science Center (Bemidji, MN), Explora (Albuquerque, NM), and Sciencenter (Ithica, NY). Youth program staff, and staff and administrators in after-school programs and partnering museums will also benefit from training and professional development. Deliverables include 27 "Learning Places," a teen training program, a Resource Guide for implementation and research contributions to the field.
Colorado State University proposes to identify the framework and infrastructure needed for the university's main campus and pueblo campus to deliver informal science education to school aged youth and their families with a particular focus on Hispanic families. The two-year planning process will include workshops, surveys, focus groups and interviews with key partners in the community that provide programming and advocacy for the targeted audience of school age children and Hispanic families in particular. An advisory board and core team of planners will use data gathered from this process to inform the development of the infrastructure model and to identify STEM concepts and formats, compelling University resources and faculty Professional Development needs in this University/Community partnership. The results of this planning initiative will provide tools, infrastructural plans and community awareness that will support future opportunities for delivering programs to specific school age audiences and developing the capacity of the faculty/staff to work with new audiences. These future efforts will support the ultimate goal of increasing school age children's participation in ISE and ultimately the numbers of Hispanic youth who go on to participate in STEM careers.
This planning grant is designed to increase science literacy in Native Americans by developing education materials for families that incorporate both a tribal worldview and western science. The intended impacts include an increased value of scientific awareness, acquisition of scientific principles using intergerational learning and enhanced science literacy. The project deliverables include nine toolboxes that will contain tested STEM activities and two planning booklets. Project partners include the Northwest Indian College and the Mt. Baker School District. Strategic impact will be realized through the development of culturally sensitive strategies that can be used to engage Native audiences.
This planning project by the National Academy of Sciences is the first step toward their establishment of a new initiative on helping the public become more knowledgeable about and engaged with the science of energy and energy choices. The Energy Ambassador program would eventually work around the country with several local civic/business/community leaders to provide them with a solid foundation for understanding the science of energy-related issues and provide them with a solid foundation for understanding the science of energy-related issues and developing possible strategies in their communities for public engagement and decision-making. The planning work is prelude to a pilot study and then to a major roll-out if all indicators suggest that would be successful. The planning work will convene scienctists, policy makers, educators, and media to develop the details for the pilot study, including indentifying three cities where the pilot study could take place and the science ambassadors for these. The activity will be in collaboration with the NAS's Committee on Learning Science in Informal Environments and the staff of the Board of Science Education.
This Communicating Research to Public Audiences (NSF 03-509) project will produce a half hour documentary television program and use it to conduct outreach to encourage students and teachers to pursue science and engineering careers through hands-on activities in polymers and plastics, cutting edge scientific experiments, enrichment activities, and effective mentoring. The project is based on her NSF-funded research NSF #0300717 aimed at understanding the structure-property relationships of newly developed biopolymers and their composites. The PI previously developed the Why Plastics? curriculum to provide a high-quality science educational experience to pre-college students. This project will create a half-hour documentary to bring the local success she has had with the program to a broader audience. The documentary will be screened on public television and in other venues such as children's museums in an effort to magnify the effects of the Why Plastics? course. Film footage will also be used for a multimedia Web site for documentary viewers who want to learn more about the subject. Why Plastics? primarily serves youth from elementary and middle schools in which a large number of the students are members of underrepresented groups.
SciGirls was a multimedia project to encourage and empower more girls to pursue STEM careers--the first PBS television series designed specifically for girls 8-13. Episodes were made available for distribution on the newest digital platforms, e.g., Vimeo and iTunes for downloads, free of charge. Strategic partners included the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and The Franklin Institute. The NGCP links SciGirls with its network of 500 community-based science programs for girls. The Franklin Institute coordinated an affiliate network of science museums to implement outreach. The project also wored with the new "Girl Scout Leadership Experience" program.
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, CA, will develop a three-pronged project called "Round and Round" focused on the geometry, science and technology of circles and wheels. All three project products (one permanent and one traveling version of a 2000-sq. ft. exhibition; an array of complementary educational programs for children ages 3-10; and published research on patterns of interactions among families of diverse backgrounds in museum settings) will be developed in cooperation with developmental psychologists from the University of California at Santa Cruz and advisors from Latino and Vietnamese communities in San Jose. "Round and Round" exhibits and programs will offer a trans-cultural, gender-neutral, and multi-disciplinary look at the ingenuity and ubiquity of circles. Together they will provide a comprehensive array of interactive experiences that help children, ages 3-10, and adults explore the mathematics, physics, physical properties and engineering advantages of circles and wheels. The project is expected to serve three million visitors in science and children's museums across the nation within four years of implementation.
The Liberty Science Center, located across the Hudson River from the former World Trade Center, will develop, evaluate and install an 8,000 square foot, five-story permanent exhibition about the architectural design and engineering, physics, and urban-related environmental science of skyscrapers. The exhibit will use a vertical space that includes a view overlooking southern Manhatten, the former World Trade Center, and one of the most famous urban skylines in the world. The exhibition is organized around three basic theme areas and is balanced between the advantages and disadvantages of skyscrapers. Visitors enter the exhibit through SKYSCRAPER WORLD, an advance organizer that sets the stage for the exhibit and identifies possible wayfinding pathways through other areas. BUILDING THE BUILDING (second and third levels) addresses principles in the design and construction of skyscrapers, while HABITAT AND IMPACT (fourth level) describes patterns of adaptation in the ecosystems created by skyscrapers. An outdoor observation deck (fifth level) facing the Manhattan skyline and the former World Trade Center, provides the opportunity for skyline programming. What is a Rooftop, Rooftop Garden, and Skyline Clock, assisted by binocular telescopes for observing detail, are interactive programs that use the skyline as a teaching tool. Taking advantage of the dramatic skyline seen from the Science Center, the project will document changing public attitudes about skyscrapers and analyze patterns of visitor traffic and wayfinding in a five-story exhibition tower. The exhibit is supported by mediated public programs in LSC and by experiences for school audiences, both at LSC and in local schools. Although "Skyscraper" is primarily an informal learning experience, it has significant linkages to formal in-school programs.
Thinking SMART is a comprehensive five-year program that will encourage young women to pursue careers in science, mathematics and technology. The project focuses on girls ages 12-18, and will especially target those who are underserved and underrepresented in the sciences, including girls from diverse backgrounds and persons with disabilities. Key elements include four science/engineering module options, a two-tiered mentoring component, training, resource materials, online activities and an awards program. The modules (Material Girls, Eco Girls, Galactic Girls, Net Girls), focus on engineering, ecology, physics and computer science respectively, and will be aligned with national standards. The modules are implemented during the school year and include weekly programming, a summer camp and a spring "Women in Science and Engineering" conference organized by girls. Weekly meetings are augmented by online activities, in which girls interact with other participants and mentors, publish reports and obtain career information. Additionally, participants who complete all four modules are eligible to become paid mentors for younger participants. Five publications will be produced to support the program, including manuals for mentors (both adults and youth), module activities, a parent guide and a guide for implementation sites on community partnerships. Thinking SMART materials will be developed and piloted tested at eight sites in conjunction with Girls, Inc. affiliates in Nashua, NH, Worcester, MA, Oakridge, TN and Shelbyville, IN, with input from the Society of Women Engineers. Extensive training will also be provided for pilot programs and future dissemination. Finally the E3 Awards Program will motivate implementation sites to create high quality local programs. It is anticipated that more than 1,500 Girls, Inc. affiliates will adopt "Thinking SMART."
DATE:
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Brenda StegallJanet StantonHeather Johnston NicholsonShalonda MurrayJoe Martinez
This award supports a workshop to be held in conjunction with the 2010 World Maker Faire being hosted at the New York Hall of Science. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together the Maker community with formal and informal science and mathematics learning experts. The Maker movement is a recent phenomenon promoted by the Maker Media division of O'Reilly Media. There are currently three U.S. and one International Maker Faires, with attendance of about 30,000 each. The Faires consist of exhibits characterized as technology-rich and innovative and developed either by the exhibitor (Do-It-Yourself or DIY) or increasingly, as collaborative exhibits (Do-It-With-Others or DIWO). Participants visiting the Faires interact directly with the developer(s) and exhibits to learn the technology and engineering skills associated with designing and building their own products. The New York Hall of Science workshop will be co-chaired by Tom Kalil, Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, and Dale Dougherty, Founder of the Maker Faires. It will have approximately 50 participants drawn from academe, business, non-profits, and state, local and federal government. Workshop attendees will observe and participate in the Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science the day before the workshop. On the second day, attendees will then address the following questions: 1) How can the innovations of the Maker movement inform science and mathematics education?; 2) What collaborations between policy makers, education and learning science researchers, and the Maker Movement can best spur innovation in science and mathematics education?; 3) What funding opportunities are possible between the Maker community and the private, philanthropic, and government sectors for the support of transformative science and mathematics education and learning research? The workshop will result in a multimedia report that will propose answers to these questions. The report will inform the education and learning science research communities about opportunities for innovations in education and learning. The workshop is designed to broadly inform both policy and practice in STEM Education. The Maker/DIY/DIWO movement is focused on design and engineering. These processes are important in STEM disciplines. In particular, the movement has motivated thousands of individuals to voluntarily participate in building technology-based projects in a manner similar to the open source software movement. If this motivation can be broadly harnessed, it could transform STEM education through new knowledge of STEM learning science and education research. The broader impact of this workshop is situated in the large numbers of individuals already engaged in Maker/DIY/DIWO projects. If more STEM content can be married to these projects, then the impact to science learning and teaching could be substantial. Since many of the Maker Faire participants come from rural communities, there is an implicit promise that incorporating more STEM content into Faire projects could have the effect of broadening participation to an underrepresented community.