This document is a “think piece” about why and how informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education institutions could be placing amusing, novel experiences in people’s paths to create memorable STEM experiences embedded in their everyday lives. The report focuses on what we learned about creating interactive STEM exhibits in public spaces outside of a science center. That said, the content can inform hands-on learning experiences on other topics, as well, within the limits outlined.
The Saint Louis Science Center (SLSC) project Bridging Earth and Mars (BEAM) will engage the general public and children from schools and community groups with the National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) exploration of Mars through exhibits simulating control of robotic rovers on the surface of Mars as well as related educational programming. This front-end evaluation for BEAM youth programs provides information to the BEAM project team about the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and skills among low-income and minority young people who are part of the field trip workshop
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Saint Louis Science CenterCarey Tisdal
Maker Corps increases the capacity of youth-serving organizations nationwide to engage youth and families in making. Diverse Maker Corps Members expand the current network of makers, mentors, and community leaders poised to lead creative experiences for youth. In the Maker Corps' second year evaluation report, we address the following questions: 1. How does Maker Corps impact the Maker Corps Members, participating Host Sites, and the audiences they serve? 2. In what ways can the Maker Corps program improve to better serve these participants and their audiences? We developed an evaluation plan with two primary methods: surveys and case studies. We surveyed all Maker Corps Members and Host Sites at multiple points during their service year. This method allowed us to get a broad look at Maker Ed's impact across the Maker Corps program. We balanced this approach by conducting case studies at three Host Sites, which allowed us to get a deeper, more specific look at Maker Ed's impact.
Situated in the shade of palm trees in the Miami, FL area, the REM Learning Center serves children aged 12 months to nine years. By having two dedicated Maker Corps Members during the summer, they could increase the number of visits children had to the "Play, Make, Share" studio, continue to experiment with different materials and facilitation strategies, and begin to build the expertise of their staff.
In addition to books, the Millvale Community Library hosts programming for all ages, a tool lending library, and a small makerspace. The space is meant to be a resource for the community in all the ways residents need. The Maker Corps program seemed like a good fit for the library; it would provide more staff during the busy summer months, continue the maker programming it had previously received from the Children’s Museum’s Mobile MAKESHOP, and hopefully provide momentum for establishing programs like the tool lending library.
Long known for its interactive exhibits and extensive educational programming, the Science Museum of Minnesota has also established itself as a place to build and experiment with classic and emerging technology. Specifically during their Activate Saturday afternoons, a special volunteer cohort facilitates hands-on activities that visitors of all ages can access to practice an engineering-design continuum: play, tinker, make, engineer. In the summer of 2013, SMM hosted four Maker Corps Members, three of whom continue to be a part of Activate.
Our role as external evaluators is to provide Maker Ed and its stakeholders with an outside perspective on two questions. First: How does Maker Corps impact the MCMs and Host Sites that participate and the audiences they serve? Second: In what ways can the Maker Corps program improve to better serve these participants and their audiences? This report is an executive summary of our full report, in which we present a complete summary of the findings from surveys, interviews, and case studies during the 2014 Maker Corps program.
Maker Corps increases the capacity of youth-serving organizations nationwide to engage youth and families in making. Diverse Maker Corps Members expand the current network of makers, mentors, and community leaders poised to lead creative experiences for youth. (http://makered.org/makercorps/) In this report of Maker Corps' second year, we address the following questions: 1. How does Maker Corps impact the Maker Corps Members, participating Host Sites, and the audiences they serve? 2. In what ways can the Maker Corps program improve to better serve these participants and their audiences? We