STEM in Out-of-School Time

The second training completed by the Museum of Science at the EEC, a small group of out-of-school workers from Greater Boston looked ahead to leading interesting engineering projects using the museum's original curriculum. This is an example of what some may call a new "collaboration" in learning and not just linking school to out-of-school by way of traditional classroom academics, but using out-of-school time for different ways to access learning. STEM as it was taught, was but another way of looking at project-based learning, a framework that has been around in different manifestations since the start of progressive education and has often been refined to fit the needs of out-of-school programs.

With project-based learning, programs can sequence activities in a way that they retain the "teachable moments" but are not tied to consistent attendance or the resource infrastructure (both human and program materials) to make out-of-school appear like school. The more the out-of-school attempts this duplication the more the question is raised as to whether larger dose of the same product will improve results (it may) or whether diverse experiences are beneficial (people usually say "diversity" but then work very hard to create seamless days - even if they have to stretch the meaning of "seamless" to fit the many disconnects and inconsistencies that exist between environments).

STEM participating programs will move ahead with the curriculum on an adventure and challenge. In the coming months BOSTnet will visit these programs and collect information and observations to examine ways that STEM concepts can be taught not only in participating programs but among a wider out-of-school audience. With so many calls to create an "evolution and revolution in schools" the work of out-of-school educators may be changing and the age of "Youth Development" may be indeed ushered out as more non-profits working with children are asked by government and private funders to "rethink how you do business" and by extension what services children get and how learning is done outside of the traditional school day.

STEM in Out of School

In a time of rather depressing news - take your pick as to what that may be for you personally or for your program or organization, there is some really interesting movement in getting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math projects into Out-of-School Programs.

Currently the United States is not faring too wall in science education when compared to other countries. This may be due to how it is hard to measure one country against another. The difficulty to uncover standards or norms when there are so many variables and the fluid nature of knowledge when measured by strict instruments. Perhaps comparing Finland and the United States is like comparing informal learning environments to formal education. Or holding informal learning environments responsible for what occurs during the school day. Nevertheless, many researches think we can measure Finland against the United States and clean the data to give us a clear picture of the quality of our science education in this nation. If that is the case, as so many educational statisticians argue, we are not doing too well when compared against that and other nations. In fact, we rank #29th of 57 nations. Finland is #1.

Leaving the debate over evaluation and assessment of nations or learning, we can always use an extra hand in science education. Some say that our nation's financial health can only be saved by increased investment in science education.

This has led some to identify Out-of-School Time programs as the logical place for expansion of learning - and a natural place for learning that is by its nature out of the classroom and outside of the tests and answer sheets associated with current educational systems and academic-focused Out-of-School Time environments. Out-of-School Time programs have used projects for years to enrich their offerings and raise their quality.

Nevertheless, we will have to see whether STEM can work in the OST environment and the latest pilot to do so runs now until the end of summer. There are two groups in Massachusetts one in the west managed by WESTmost and the other in the east. The Eastern Cohort Group is run though a partnership of Build the Out of School Time Network, The Department of Early Education and Care, Department of Higher Education, Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership, The Museum of Science, and the Donahue Institute. The four sites and representatives of the six partners gathered today at City Year in Boston to learn about how to teach engineering using the Museum of Science's Engineering is Elementary curriculum. The training covered the fundamentals of engineering - have goals and ask questions until you solve these challenges with the materials at hand. The group was surprised at how simple materials were all that was needed. They also learned that through projects many children who may get factual answers wrong on a science actually can innovate in projects and become engaged in ways they may not through text books and discussions.

Over the next coming weeks, this group of STEM pilots will launch their projects and we will see what potential there is for this work and what challenges programs face in implementing these projects looking at what supports are needed, whether "out of the box" curriculum works, child engagement, and if these projects are fun for staff and children.

At a point in time when science, technology and engineering are opening all these incredible potentials in our world from micro-computers to green technologies, the United States is falling behind in the production of graduates in these fields. We need to do something towards growing the next generation of STEM workers. Already "by 2010, only four years from now, more than 90 percent of all scientists and engineers in the world will live in Asia." We have our work cut out for use to bring our rating up from #29th in the world science community and to make this country again the innovation powerhouse we are accustomed to.

STEM in Out-of-School Time

I love science, and it pains me to think that so many are terrified of the subject and feel that choosing science means you cannot also choose compassion, or the arts, or be awed by nature. Science is not meant to cure us of mystery, but to reinvent and reinvigorate it. -Robert Sapolsky

Science is a wonderful subject to teach children and youth. Earth science almost writes its own curriculum - and the materials are always at hand: water, dirt, organic materials, air, etc. Many people, such as the Coalition for Science After School think that Out-of-School time is a perfect place to do science projects. In a recent development, progressive educators have conceptualized the Science Technology Engineering and Math approach - or STEM for use in and out of school. The STEM initiative seems to thrive in the after school environment and there appears to be increasing research supporting this.

That is exciting that the learning that occurs in OST is beginning to be recognized and the unique developmental setting being used for what it can be rather than molded into an additional classroom experience. With STEM (as with project-based learning or the social emotional development) OST can serve to compliment formal education and in this way both institutions lead to positive youth outcomes. Learning, after all, is academic skills and social emotional development. As Sapolsky suggests above, these need not be mutually exclusive.

However, it will take further investigation to see how STEM can be implemented in programs. BOSTnet is working with several other agencies to realize this goal. As part of a statewide project the STEM pilot is a joint initiative of DHE and EEC. BOSTnet has selected four programs in and around Boston (the other programs are being selected by another organization out in the most western part of the state). These programs will be receiving units of instruction from the Museum of Science's Engineering is Elementary curriculum originally designed for use in the classroom but adapted for use by Out-of-School Time. Program staff will earn how to do a simple engineering project with children and test the idea that these programs can implement a fuller set of STEM initiatives.

The time for science education is always now. It does not matter whether we as a nation are doing worse than other nations in science or better than other nations in science,what matters is that all children know the stages of water, the theory of gravity, and perhaps be able to understand that plastic takes 20 generations to break down into non-complex hydro carbons and to think twice about disposing of thoseplastic toys.

We will move ahead with our own investigation and post further outcomes as we see how STEM can be brought to life in our programs and reinvent and reinvigorate the mystery of the world for all children.