Find out how afterschool and summer learning can support student success in the Expanding Minds and Opportunities compendium, released by The Expanded Learning & Afterschool Project. This collection of nearly 70 articles includes reports, studies, opinion commentaries, and examples of best practices makes the case that opportunities in out-of-school time learning can have positive impacts on youth development—including in STEM.
The Afterschool Alliance, a Washington, D.C. based advocacy group for out of school learning, has released a highly anticipated report on outcomes for youth in STEM after school programs. The report is the result of a 10-month study funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Noyce Foundation, of afterschool providers from around the country that were surveyed on “appropriate and feasible” outcomes for STEM learning in afterschool settings. The survey results were organized into a framework of outcomes, indicators, and sub-indicators that demonstrate how afterschool contributes to
Naturejobs.com article called “Education: Free-range learning,” highlighting some of the benefits of and challenges for informal science education. The article includes quotes and examples from project leaders in citizen science, cyberlearning, science museums, learning research, and evaluation, and makes the claim that in a time of uncertain funding, research and evaluation for ISE projects are critical.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Virginia Gewin
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
As part of its ongoing Practice-and-Research (PaR) initiative, the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE), in collaboration with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, has engaged cross-sector groups of informal STEM learning practitioners and researchers through a trajectory of activities that include surveys, conference calls, an online forum, and a recent convening to explore, discuss, and brainstorm about the existing and potential relationships between practice and research in the field.
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CAISE
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
As part of its Practice-and-Research initiative, the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) has been hosting a series of field-wide discussions to explore the current and potential connections between ISE practice and research. A rich variety of practitioners, researchers and evaluators have contributed to one or more of these conversations that have taken place on conference calls, an online forum, and an in-person convening to share and broaden understandings about the benefits and challenges in facilitating these connections.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
CAISE
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Horizon Research, Inc. has recently completed the fifth in a series of national surveys funded by the National Science Foundation. The most recent survey “was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources.”
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Eric BanilowerP. Sean SmithIris WeissKristen MalzahmKiira CampbellAaron Weis
The 2012 Science Festival Alliance Annual Report is now available. This first-of-its-kind document provides a snapshot of activity for the SFA and its members in 2012, and it paints quite a striking picture. With 13 SFA member festivals (membership has grown since!) reporting on the over 1,600 events they produced in 2012 the numbers add up quickly. How many of these events drew more that 1,000 visitors? What percent of attendees gave the events evaluated positive ratings? Read on to find out, and notice that certain sections of the report, such as our list of a few festival news stories, are