Transcript Project Exploration The Impact of our Youth Science Model

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WHY LINKING IN- AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL EXPERIENCES
MATTERS FOR STUDENTS HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM
Successful K-12 STEM Education
National Science Foundation
April 10, 2012 Chicago, IL
Diane Miller, St. Louis Science Center
Gabrielle Lyon, PhD, Project Exploration
Rafael Rosa, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
4/10/12
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STEM in the Service of Students
Successful K-12 STEM Education
National Science Foundation
Gabrielle Lyon, Project Exploration
Chicago
April 10, 2012
3/16/12
Who Will Do Science?
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
YES at St. Louis Science Center
Project Exploration
Science is Peculiar
When we talk about “underrepresented populations in science” or
“minorities in science” we need to take into account…
• Achievement gap: We should be looking at socioeconomic
status in addition to race and ethnicity.
• Literacy: If you can’t read well you won’t get to do science.
1959 National Engagement Strategies
• Resources, programs focused on academic top 10%
• Government funding is “soft” money; primarily ends up at
universities and research-based institutions
• High-caliber informal experiences target academically elite
students and families who can pay for them.
Obstacles*
Students from underrepresented minority groups face
specific obstacles to continuing in STEM at different
points:
• Fail to enter higher education because K-12 training is
weak;
• Tuition costs are a significant barrier to higher
education;
• Lack of laboratory research experiences keep students
from being competitive for graduate school.
Opportunities*
Three most effective strategies for students from populations
historically underrepresented in science:
1) overnight and residential or summer programs
2) one-on-one opportunities
3) hands on lab experiences

Key element across all successful programs: commitment and
effectiveness of program staff.
* Investigating the Human Potential, AAAS 1983.
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3/16/12
Who We Are
Project Exploration is a
nonprofit science education
organization whose mission is
to ensure that communities
traditionally overlooked by
science — particularly
minority youth and girls —
have access to personalized
experiences with science and
scientists.
3/16/12
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Who We Serve
• 6th-12th grade Chicago Public School
students least likely to have the
chance to be involved with science.
• Students who struggle academically
and students attending chronically
under-resourced Chicago Public
Schools with graduation rates just
above 50%, well below the national
average.
• Nearly 85% of Project Exploration
students come from low-income
families.
• 54% are African American and 41% are
Latino; 78% are female.
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Our Goals:
• Get students interested in science
• Keep students interested in science
• Equip students to pursue science, should they
choose
Through:
• Long-term relationships
• Access to experts
• Interest-driven content co-created by students
• Personalized learning supported by caring adults
Sisters4Science
All Girls Expedition
Lab Internships
Our Impact to Date*
Project Exploration’s 10-year retrospective study of the
1,000 students who have participated in our programs
found:
 Engagement in communities of practice
 Increased science capacity
 Strengthened socio-emotional mindsets
*Chi, et al. Project Exploration 10-Year Retrospective Program Evaluation, 2010.
Our Impact to Date*
 95% of our students 18 years and older have graduated
or are on track to graduate high school.
 50% of these students are enrolled in a four-year college
or have already graduated.
 60% of students pursuing higher education majored or
are majoring in STEM-related fields.
Furthermore,
 30% have jobs in a STEM-related career.
 60% would like to pursue higher education.
*Chi, et al. Project Exploration 10-Year Retrospective Program Evaluation, 2010.
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Metrics that Matter to Students*
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•
•
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Someone knows their name
The program “never ends”
It feels like “family”
They learn how to write
They’re in the news
… Not just about science
*Chi, et al. Project Exploration 10-Year Retrospective Program Evaluation, 2010.
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Hope Jernigan: Recommendations to Scientists
1. Learn about your
audience.
2. Share something about
yourself.
3. Interact in ways that build
student confidence.
4. Provide an authentic,
hands-on activity.
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Our Youth-Science Model
Working
alongside
scientists
Openminded and
curious
students
Authentic,
inquiry-based
learning
experiences
Building
positive youth
development
and science
competencies
Connecting Back to Academic Lives…
• Dear Principal Dust,
• Your students, Miguel and Hector, were immersed in a world of
scientific discovery and leadership development this past summer
through Project Exploration’s Junior Paleontologist (JP) program.
• Each year, Project Exploration selects twelve high school students…This
year, students worked with scientists during the classroom training,
representing a variety of scientific fields such as geology, paleontology,
and comparative anatomy. At the end of this rigorous training, the
students presented projects to their families, teachers, and community
members.
• In South Dakota, Miguel and Hector… worked with ten scientists over
the course of five days searching for mammoth bones, preparing fossils,
and exploring the Black Hills. Throughout the experience, students
developed leadership and communication skills as they worked together
in a new and challenging environment.
The questions that matter at Project
Exploration:
• What’s worth knowing and experiencing in STEM?
• What are youth looking for in STEM experiences?
• What activities will best serve students’ needs?
• How can we build positive youth development assets through
STEM?