RISES (Re-energize and Invigorate Student Engagement through Science) is a coordinated suite of resources including 42 interactive English and Spanish STEM videos produced by Children's Museum Houston in coordination with the science curriculum department at Houston ISD. The videos are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, and each come with a bilingual Activity Guide and Parent Prompt sheet, which includes guiding questions and other extension activities.
DuPage Children’s Museum will conduct an in-depth, iterative evaluation of the museum’s Questioneers traveling exhibit and create a permanent 2,000 square-foot, bi-lingual Questioneers exhibit along with related programming that promotes inclusivity and ignites children’s interest in mathematics, science, engineering, and architecture. The exhibit and programming also will help reduce the impact of socioeconomic disparities that are known to discourage underrepresented and underserved populations from pursuing their interest in STEM fields. The exhibit and its related programming will feature characters, activities, and challenges from bestselling children’s books. The museum will coordinate exhibit design and fabrication with community partners.
The University of Montana will create “Transforming Spaces” to foster a more inclusive, culturally responsive space for Missoula’s urban Indian population and to better meet the community’s needs. The project will explore cross-cultural, collaborative approaches to STEM and Native Science. In collaboration with Montana’s tribal communities, the museum’s education team and advisory groups will design and implement hands-on activities that engage visitors with Native Science. The project will engage tribal role models and partner with tribal elders to create a library of videos for tribal partners, K–12 schools, and organizations. The project will offer teachers professional development designed to fulfill the statewide mandate of Indian Education for All. The exhibit will connect Native and non-Native museum visitors, close opportunity and achievement gaps, and ensure that all Missoula children feel a sense of belonging in museums, higher education, and STEM.
The Michigan Science Center will purchase a portable planetarium that will bring planetarium shows to more than 2,000 children through its Traveling Science Program. The museum plans to take the programs to 10 schools and 8 libraries in Metro Detroit and 6 libraries in northern Michigan. They will deliver the portable planetarium shows in coordination with the museum’s long-standing “Scopes in the City” program, which allows people to use telescopes to see the night sky. The program also will expose students to Michigan’s growing aerospace industry and help increase their interest in earth and space science.
The Westchester Children’s Museum will develop Full STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Ahead, an integrated, module-based sequence of hands-on STEAM workshops adaptable for both in-person and virtual teaching for high-need 2nd to 6th grade students at Thomas Cornell Academy in Yonkers, NY and Waterside School in Stamford, CT. Project activities include program development, preparation, delivery, and evaluation to create programs that are replicable and sustainable while leveraging the museum’s resources to demonstrate how it can support their communities in need during unprecedented times. Full STEAM Ahead anticipates reaching 300 students from low-income and economically disadvantaged families.
This assessment serves as the summative assessment of the IMLS-funded project at KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum: Natural History Mystery: Immersing families in a problem-solving game using museum collections. The assessment employs a mixed methods approach, in which both quantitative and qualitative data are collected. More specifically, quantitative data are generated from surveys that are administered to participants at the beginning and end of the game and analyzed by using descriptive statistics (i.e., mean, standard deviation, and histogram) and paired sample t-test
The University of Kansas Natural History Museum, in collaboration with the University of California Museum of Paleontology, will develop, test, and deploy an immersive educational game on the topic of evolution and common ancestry. The museum will frame the game with a narrative that involves tracing the origin of a zoonotic disease (infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans or from humans to animals). Played on the museum floor, the escape room-inspired game will explore innovative formats for museum learning and engagement. It is being designed for families with children ages 7 to 12, and by visiting groups of schoolchildren in grades 3 to 5.
The Carnegie Science Center will contribute to the reinvigoration of planetarium programming nationwide by creating and sharing three multifaceted productions combining live theatre and science education. The "Cosmic Cookbook" will be a free online digital toolkit for planetarium educators designed to delight audiences, inspire the next generation of scientists, and promote a scientifically literate community. Targeting elementary school students, each show will include theatric, character-driven scripts for presenters; digital media assets for planetarium producers, including original full-dome content; and how-to guides for live demonstrations and storytelling. The museum will pilot and evaluate each show with students from local underserved schools and incorporate feedback before distribution for other planetariums across the country. The museum will release video tutorials on teaching science and theatric presentation, webinars, and script updates throughout the lifespan of the project to foster sustained replication of the programs.
The University of California Museum of Paleontology will upgrade two STEM websites that provide free resources for teachers, students, and the public for teaching and learning about evolution and the process of science. The project will allow the museum to respond more effectively to user expectations and enhance the security, functionality, and general appeal of these educational resources. In consultation with expert advisors, the project team will review and revise the content and graphics on the 30 most-accessed, high-content pages of each site to ensure that they reflect the latest research and perspectives in the field. New features will also provide more opportunities for visitor interaction with scientific data. Both front-end and formative evaluation will guide the phases of the project.
WCS launched its electronic field trip program, Distance Learning Expeditions, in 2001 when there
was tremendous interest in the educational community in the potential of videoconferencing
technology for program delivery, as well as money available for the purchase of related broadcast
equipment. The program grew rapidly and was successful through 2009 -- serving 9,600 students
in 2006-07, its largest year. From 2010 to 2014, with school budget cuts, high equipment
maintenance costs, and shifts in staffing, participation in the program declined. In 2010, WCS
secured a grant from IMLS for
The L.C. Bates Museum will provide 1,700 rural fourth grade students and their families museum-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) educational programming including integrated naturalist, astronomy, and art activities that explore Maine's environment and its solar and lunar interactions. The project will include a series of eight classroom programs, family field trips, TV programs, family and classroom self-guided educational materials, and exhibitions of project activities including student work. By bringing programs to schools and offering family activities and field trips, the museum will be able to engage an underserved, mostly low-income population that would otherwise not be able to visit the museum. The museum's programming will address teachers' needs for museum objects and interactive explorations that enhance student learning and new Common Core science curriculum objectives, while offering students engaging learning experiences and the opportunity to develop 21st century leadership skills.
The New York City Department of Education will build a digital gateway for students and teachers called “Project ECS@ESC: Encouraging Connections through STEM” at the Environmental Study Center. This will offer rich and engaging experiential environmental science programs for students and teachers at all grade levels. The project will develop a digital depository of educational materials and digital resources that connect instructional content and programs. Educators and students will access the instructional resources beyond the walls of ESC, facilitating STEM-focused inquiry experiences in the classroom and utilizing instructional materials, e-content, and digital resources. It will also create a digital depository using Springshare’s Libguides, an online content management system, to provide e-content focused on STEM topics and themes.