Staff Development
This guide from the National Partnerships for AfterSchool Science (NPASS), part of the Educational Development Center’s (EDC) Center for Science Education, provides tools and articles to help engage out-of-school activity leaders in professional development around science and engineering activities. The tools include downloadable curricula for staff development in how to lead educational activities. The curricula includes a set of adult learning sessions, suggestions for science and engineering activities to model, guidance on addressing implementation issues, and sample agendas.
Part of the NASA Education website, supporting educators in their efforts to attract and retain students in STEM disciplines, this page contains links to NASA’s report on its 18-month study and demonstration project on existing afterschool science programming. The site also has a section for educators containing teaching materials, links to related sites, educator resources, and homework topics.
The National Center for Education Research developed this practice guide aggregating the best available evidence and expertise to provide educators with specific recommendations on how to encourage girls in the fields of math and science. The guide offers five actionable recommendations to teachers and other educators, including coaches, counselors, and principals.
The Harvard Family Research Project promotes the use of out-of-school time to increase competency in STEM. This website includes out-of-school time programs; evaluations that the Harvard Family Research project is currently tracking; and an extensive research and evaluation database and bibliography.
A helpful fact sheet containing statistics and research data on issues concerning girls and their relationship with science and math. The fact sheet was developed by Girls Incorporated and is good reference material for writing proposals.
New Formulas for America's Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering New Tools for America’s Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering (PDF) Two new publications from the National Science Foundation (NSF): New Formulas for America’s Workforce reports on the methodology and results of the grants awarded by the NSF program for gender equity and New Tools for America’s Workforce provides a catalog of products that were created by the program grant projects, including publications, DVDs, websites, and more.
This article, from Vol. 25, Issue 24 of Education Week, discusses the benefits of afterschool programs in helping to bolster the country’s pipeline of young scientists and increase our overall competitiveness in the global marketplace. The article cites research on the successes and benefits of afterschool programs and includes a list of strategies to integrate science into a wide range of other afterschool curricula.
Produced by the Coalition for Science After School, this “blueprint for action” lays out required tasks necessary to ensure that young people from all backgrounds have access to high quality STEM learning experiences during their out of school hours. The paper also lists sample successful programs in curriculum development, professional development, and research and evaluation.
Seeing Gender: Tools for Change is a project designed to help develop and test a CD–ROM set for use with college faculty in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The objective is to increase the number of STEM teachers and faculty members who are taking steps to reduce gender prejudice in their classrooms and colleges. These CDs introduce the user to the research based on gender and gender socialization, help educators recognize gender bias in STEM classrooms, provide strategies and interference to reduce prejudice, and discuss school wide efforts to increase the presence of women in STEM classes.
Four tutorials with voice-over narration are available from this website. The tutorials contain facts and statistics concerning the role of gender in science.
The National Science Foundation established the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program in response to the shortages of information technology workers in the United States. The program funds projects that provide opportunities for both school-age children and teachers to build the skills and knowledge need to advance their studies. Their Learning Resource Center provides links to a wide range of resources on topics relating to increasing the number of students pursuing STEM careers.
Gordon Snyder, Director of the National Center for Telecommunications Technologies at Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts conducts a podcast interview with Donna Milgram, Executive Director of the Institute for Women in the Trades, Technology, & Science (iwitts) about how to successfully integrate women into male dominated careers.
YouthLearn is an initiative led by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) offering youth development professionals and educators comprehensive services and resources for using technology to create exciting learning environments. Their Afterschool & Technology section features information on eight model afterschool programs representing the breadth of approaches one can take in harnessing technology afterschool.