Friday
Friday, September 24
7:45AM – 8:30AM
Registration/Breakfast
8:30AM – 8:45AM
Welcome/Updates
8:45AM – 10:00AM
Plenary: STEM Education Policy Town Hall Meeting
Panelists: Kumar Garg, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Anita Krishnamurthi, Director of STEM Policy, Afterschool Alliance; Andee Press-Dawson, Executive Director, California After School Network; Jason Zimba, Professor of Physics & Mathematics, Bennington College
Moderator: Dennis Bartels, Executive Director, Exploratorium
Educate to Innovate. Race to the Top. National Lab Day. Where does out of school time fit into national and local policy agendas for science and technology education? This moderated “town-hall” style conversation will offer attendees a chance to hear from senior policy makers and, in turn to share ideas, challenges and opportunities facing the field.
10:00AM – 10:15AM
Move to Sessions
10:15AM – 11:30AM | Concurrent Sessions 3
Three Reasons to be Eager to do Evaluation: Your Funders, Your Organization and Your Students
Alan Friedman, Museum Development and Science
This session is an introduction to project evaluation, especially for those of us who are reluctant, confused, or even dismayed at the prospect. The speaker has been all of these in the past. But he is now a fan of evaluation because he has seen how evaluation can help everyone involved in out-of-school time programs or learning experiences of any kind. The presentation will include sources of guidelines and downloadable information, and advice on how to find evaluators to help or how to learn to do evaluation yourself. After a presentation, there will be an open discussion with plenty of time for questions, comments, and shared stories.
The Common Core Initiative and National Standards for STEM
In the past few months, a large group of states has formally adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. What is happening with this effort now? What is likely to happen next in terms of curriculum and assessments? How is the Common Core initiative related to the current efforts to define national science standards? (The speaker, a physicist, was one of the writers of the Common Core Standards for Mathematics.)
Assessment of STEM Quality Program in Out-of-School Time: Introduction to the Harvard Dimensions of Success
(DOS) Observation Tool
Gil Noam and Anahit Papazian, McLean Hospital/Harvard University
This session is designed to provide knowledge about theoretical frameworks to better understand assessments in OST STEM field, overview of Dimensions of Success (DOS) observation tool focused on STEM, viewing of videos in OST STEM programs and rating it with DOS as a group and materials and technical supports to use the acquired conceptual frameworks and skills presented in this session.
What Research and Practice Say About the Impacts of Out of School Time STEM Experiences
Lynn Dierking, Oregon State University; Dale McCreedy, The Franklin Institute Science Museum
Two speakers discuss their work developing and researching out-of- School Time STEM Experiences. Each presenter will share insights from a variety of projects including: Parents Partners in School Science, designed to connect elementary age children’s in-school and OST with their families; LEAP into Science, an after-school program conducted in collaboration with a public library; a retrospective study investigating long-term impacts of gendered out-of-school time science experiences; and a national study commissioned by the Institute for Museums and Library Services investigating the impact of IMLS-funded projects on youth development. Lessons learned and the challenges faced developing and documenting the impact of such efforts will be addressed.
Like the Energizer Bunny: Lessons Learned About Sustaining and Scaling Up After School Programs from Techbridge
Linda Kekelis and Martha Pena, Techbridge
You’ve started an after school program, but wonder how to keep it going? You have a good program so what would it take to expand across town or across the country? Come to this session and learn how Techbridge has sustained its after school programs and also expanded to reach many more students. You’ll learn about key program elements, strategies for cultivating relationships, evaluating and renewing program elements, and recruiting and retaining kids and staff.
Sustainable South Bronx
Miquela Craytor, Sustainable South Bronx
Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), founded in 2001, works with the South Bronx and other underserved urban communities as they transform themselves into great sustainable places to live. SSBx achieves this goal by providing a collaborative model that addresses environmental, economic and social concerns through policy change, green job training, environmental education and community greening programs.
This Session will focus on how SSBx has linked the opportunities of digital technology to the solutions needed for our underserved community. Through our Fab Lab program we are working with South Bronx youth to address community problems. By linking the on the ground issues, to creative minds, our students have been able to articulate solutions to the issues that exacerbate their communities.
11:30AM – 12:15PM
Lunch/Networking
12:15PM – 1:30PM | Concurrent Sessions 4
Older Youth: Pathways to STEM Engagement and STEM Careers
Irene Porro, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Older youth are often underserved by OST programs because they require programming conditions different from those required for younger children. This session focuses on STEM learning for youth 14 and older as part of a continuum of efforts to foster STEM engagement and STEM careers choices. We discuss an action agenda to inform policy and research projects and to promote a community of practice for STEM programming for older youth.
After School Staff Development – 4-H Tools of the Trade II…Inspiring Young Minds to be SET Ready for Life!
Sharon Junge and Sue Mangalallan, 4-H
4-H Tools of the Trade II…Inspiring Young Minds to Be SET Ready for Life! is a series of staff development training modules which incorporate identified best practices in nonformal science education. Presenters will review the evaluation results from this staff development training manual and explore why this initiative has been effective at increasing afterschool staff’s awareness, appreciation and understanding of high quality science experiences, as well as enhancing staff confidence and competence in delivering science, engineering and technology in after school environments.
Designing for Hard Fun: Lessons from Developing Kid’s Survey Network
Elizabeth Rowe, TERC
This session will explore the concept of ‘hard fun’, why it is a worthwhile goal in OST programs, and key principles for designing learning environments kids experience as hard and fun. These principles were derived through the development of Kids’ Survey Network (www.kidsurvey.org), an online learning environment designed to engage middle school youth in the ‘hard fun’ of survey research. Please bring your laptops to join in the fun!
Scaling Up: Lessons from the National Girls Collaborative Project
Brenda Britsch and Karen Peterson, National Girls Collaborative Project
The National Girls Collaborative Project, an NSF-funded initiative to increase gender equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, has grown from a two state effort into a national project that supports Regional Collaboratives in 28 states and provides resources and professional development across the United States. NGCP leaders will present lessons learned from their scale-up experience related to geography and programming, including how to maximize use of technology for effective project expansion.
Inquiry and Curriculum Through an Equity Lens
Maryann Stimmer, Educational Equity Center at AED; Heather Gibbons, St. Louis Science Center
Whether you have been using inquiry practice for years or are just starting, this session will provide new perspectives on the process. Join this conversation about inquiry process as a tool for equity in your programs. Plenty of activity, discussion and exchange of ideas create the opportunity to go home with practical ideas you can apply immediately.
Community Partnerships
Rafael Rosa, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; Stela Oliveira, LA’s Best; Peter Broffman, Intel
After school programs often look to take advantage of resources already existing in local communities, though building these partnerships can be challenging. Join us for a discussion on how organizations can best work with communities in order to create outstanding, relevant, and sustainable after school programs.
1:30PM – 1:45PM
Coffee Break
1:45PM – 2:30PM
What’s Going on Here? Summary of Reports from the “Big Ideas” Conversations
Facilitators: Heather Gibbons, Senior Director for School & Community Education, St. Louis Science Center; Christian Greer, Project Exploration; Diane Miller, St. Louis Science Center; Rafael Rosa, Vice President of Education, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; Maryann Stimmer, Senior Manager for STEM Programs, Educational Equity Center at AED; Tony Streit, Senior Project Director, Education Development Center
2:30PM – 2:45PM
Door Prizes/Adjourn
