Learn more about what’s next in informal science. We will cover new and creative research and programs, exciting stories, big picture thinking, news, and STEM systems.
- By Ron Ottinger in News on
We Need to Give Low-Income Kids a Chance at High-Tech Futures, and After-School Programs Can Help
Read moreby Kevin Washington and Ron Ottinger, from Education PostSTEM education—science, technology, engineering, and math—has become a national priority. STEM jobs are among the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs in America, and nearly 80 percent of all new jobs created nationwide over the next decade will require STEM skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, perseverance and experimentation.After-school and summer learning programs are an important place for our nation’s youth to gain these skills, especially youth from low-income households and girls, who have too often been left out of the STEM economy.STEM learning in after-school settings has the power to…
STEM Next Strategy in Action: Young People Talk about STEM at Boys & Girls Clubs
Read moreMay 9, 2017STEM Next aims to make STEM come alive for young people, so they can discover their interests and passions and gain valuable skills for the future.One key strategy for STEM Next is to leverage existing systems, for example, we invest in the capacity of national youth organizations to offer high-quality, hands-on STEM experiences after school. STEM Next supports Imagine Science, a collaboration among the National 4-H Council, Girls, Inc., YMCA of the USA and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to bring STEM to the 18 million youth they collectively serve each year.In addition, STEM Next and…
Trump’s new budget seeks to end funding for afterschool and other STEM education programs
Read moreFor Immediate ReleaseMay 23, 2017Trump’s new budget seeks to end funding for afterschool and other STEM education programs, would be devastating to those who have been left out of the STEM economyStatement from Ron Ottinger, STEM Next Director The Trump Administration has decided to double-down on funding cuts in education that would be devastating for the millions of young people and their families who rely on afterschool programs. This is particularly true for afterschool STEM learning.The Administration’s new FY18 budget proposal once again seeks to eliminate funding for the 21st Century Learning Centers program that supports afterschool learning opportunities. But it would not…
- By Teresa Drew in News on
Upcoming Events. Sign Me Up.
Read moreMay 15-26, 2017. Remake Learning Days. The world’s largest open house of hands-on learning. Pittsburgh PA. More info here.May 17-20, 2017. Citizen Science Association Conference. Twin Cities, MN. Register here.May 24-26, 2017. US News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference. San Diego, CA. Register here.May 31, 2017, 1-2PM ET. 10-11AM PT. Webinar: Science Action Club: Building STEM Identities through Citizen Science. For more information email: cherrera@ngcproject.orgJune 5-6. 2017 International Public Science Events Conference. Madison, WI. Register here.June 15-17, 2017. Ecite. European network of science centers and museums, science and public engagement conference. Hosted by the Natural History and Science Museum of…
May 2017: A note from Ron
Read moreEarlier this month, I talked with Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls about the importance of STEM learning in afterschool and how the burden of the President’s proposed budget cuts would fall largely on the shoulders of young people facing the toughest odds of succeeding in STEM: girls, young people of color, and young people living in poverty. Read more about our conversation here.Last week, we were heartened by the passage of a spending bill for this year that provides a modest increase to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. We hope the bill signals Congressional rejection of the Administration’s proposal…
How to Integrate STEM into Early Childhood Education
Read moreTwo important new reports on early childhood STEM call for action to support teachers, engage parents, build public awareness, and invest in research. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center’s STEM Starts Early calls for collaboration among sectors to implement and sustain progress. This National Science Foundation-funded report also features research by the FrameWorks Institute on how to build greater public understanding of the importance of STEM learning opportunities for all children. The center also has a blog post explaining STEM learning trajectories in young children to help teachers and other adults understand what should we teach? Where do we start?…
Recognizing Excellent STEM Mentoring Programs
Read moreResearch led by Techbridge and others has found that mentoring is a critically important strategy for supporting underserved and underrepresented students to succeed in STEM. Techbridge has also published a guide to how role models make a difference for girls in STEM. We are pleased that mentoring programs will again get their moment in the spotlight with US 2020’s third annual STEM Mentoring Awards (SMAs). The 2017 awards feature five categories: excellence in volunteer experience; volunteer mobilization; public-private partnerships; impact measurement; and most innovative hands-on project. Deadline is May 31.
How is Your State Doing on Computer Science Education Policy?
Read moreSupported by BNY Mellon, in March 2017, a coalition of organizations convened by EDC and the Massachusetts Computer Attainment Network (MassCAN) released a guide to progress on computer science (CS) education policy in each of the 50 states. State of the States Landscape Report: State-Level Policies Supporting Equitable K–12 Computer Science Education details how each state is doing advancing 10 policy priorities developed by Code.org Advocacy Coalition. The guide also includes broad recommendations for advancing policy, including building a broad base of leadership and ownership among key stakeholders.A key policy priority is to address the lack of diversity in…
Trump Administration’s Budget Would Devastate Afterschool STEM Learning Opportunities For Our Nation’s Youth
Read morePresident Trump’s proposed budget cuts to afterschool programs would deny millions of American youth the opportunity to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning; inhibit the development of the nation’s future scientists, engineers, inventors, and business leaders; and cut young people off from building the skills they need to advance in school, work, citizenship and life.If enacted by Congress, the President’s budget would eliminate the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, the single largest source of funding for afterschool and summer programs that enroll 1.6 million students across rural, urban and suburban communities in all 50 states.Afterschool…
New Resources Released: Afterschool STEM Programs Help Close America’s Skills Gap
Read moreOn Wednesday, March 1, new resources and research was released, highlighting how afterschool programs can provide gains in critical workforce skills and interest in STEM careers.The evidence is clear: Students participating in afterschool programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) reported increased interest in science careers and gains in important 21st century skills such as critical thinking and perseverance, which are in high demand in today’s workforce.The key findings emerge from the Afterschool & STEM System Building Evaluation 2016, an ambitious study supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and STEM Next. The study looked at the…
