Exciting and Unique Job Opening at the Coalition for Science After School and Lawrence Hall of Science!

Do you or does someone you know have a passion for promoting science in after school? Are you looking to be a leader in this emerging and exciting field? The Coalition for Science After School and the Lawrence Hall of Science is looking for a Director to lead the new Center for Quality Science Learning Afterschool and the Coalition. Read on, and pass along the news to your colleagues and associates. We look forward to hearing from you!

Job Number: 10-104
Job Type: Coordinator of Public Programs VI-VIII
Job Area:  Lawrence Hall of Science
Job Notes:
Title: Director, Center for Quality Science Learning Afterschool (Coordinator of Public Programs VI-VIII)
Location: Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley
Salary Range: $76,800-98,900 annually

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) is seeking a visionary leader to envision, plan and build a new Center for Quality Science Learning Afterschool (QSLA). As Center Director he or she will be responsible for creating an agenda that enables quality educational programs and innovative practices to flourish in afterschool. This senior academic appointee will play a visible role nationally in the field by serving as a spokesperson, advocate, and coalition builder to raise the profile of the Hall. The director will supervise staff as well as serve on the nine member LHS leadership team to promote institution-wide collaboration and excellence. The QSLA Center Director will be responsible for facilitating mutually beneficial relationships with outside agencies as well as build collaboration within the Hall's current efforts in afterschool science education. The QSLA Center Director will serve as author and project director on grants and fundraising documents to raise support for the work of the center. Through leveraging the Hall's existing excellence in research and evaluation, materials development, direct service, and technology innovation, the QSLA Director will be expected to build a strong and coherent program that make a measurable impact on the diversity of afterschool audiences.
The QSLA Center Director will concurrently serve (30-40%) as the Executive Director of the Coalition for Science After School (CSAS), a national network of over 1500 organizations, experts and committed individuals, dedicated to advancing after school science education. CSAS plays a national role in collecting and disseminating knowledge about best and promising practices in the field, serves as platform for advocacy, and a convener of communities of practice.  The Executive Director, working together and guided by the CSAS Steering Committee, will enact the bold vision to make science a routine part of after school, such that CSAS will no longer need to exist in ten years.

Qualifications:                  
" Masters in science or mathematics, science or mathematics education, youth development, or the equivalent required; Ph. D. desirable.
" A minimum of ten years of experience in science and/or mathematics education, in formal, informal, and/or afterschool settings; working with policymakers, diverse learners and stakeholders.
" Experience designing, implementing, leading, and managing complex projects; including building teams and raising funds
" Knowledge of science education and afterschool trends and policies required; knowledge of UC system policies and practices desirable.
" Excellent written and oral communications skills, computer skills, service-oriented with a strong customer service background required; bilingual and/or experienced with second language learning issues desirable.
" Self-starter with ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to set priorities, take initiative, exercise authority, and execute tasks while maintaining confidentiality, exercising judgment.

QSLA Center Description:
http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/qsla/QSLA_Description.pdf

CSAS Strategic Plan:
http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/csas/CSAS_Biz_Plan.pdf

Approximate Starting Date: February 1, 2011
Total Duration of Appointment: 1 year, renewable upon successful performance and the availability of funds.
Application Deadline: November 1, 2010

Please submit your CV and cover letter by e-mail to:
Sherry Hsi & Michael Radke, Selection Committee Co-Chairs
QSLADirectorSearch@afterschoolscience.org

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.

You can also view this posting at the UC Berkeley Academic Employment site.

Conference Update: Keynote Presentation, Funding Plenary, and our Breakout Sessions!

For those of you not in LA with us, we just wrapped up our first full day of the 2010 National Conference on Science and Technology in Out of School Time! We started off the morning with an excellent Keynote Presentation from Dr. Pedro Noguera, who spoke eloquently and engagingly about the need for innovative education in STEM. After two rounds of breakout sessions and lunch, we heard from major funders of STEM programs, who spoke about what they look for in potential fundees and funding trends in the field. There are exciting collaborations and partnerships being made all around!

The folks at Project Exploration have been blogging all day over at http://www.projectexploration.org/blog/ and tweeting at #scienceafterschool. Lots of big updates over there, so take a look!

Not in LA? You can still follow the National Conference on Science and Technology in Out-of-School Time!

The 2010 National Conference on Science and Technology in Out of School Time starts today! We're kicking off the event with a pre-conference symposium focusing on Putting Youth at the Center of Pathways and Systems. Later tonight, an opening reception at the LA Zoo will feature Nick Dragotta of Howtoons, a comic series that incorporates STEM and inspires kids to build things. Most of our attendees will come to the conference tomorrow morning, when we'll hear from our Keynote Speaker Dr. Pedro Noguera.

If you're unable to make it to LA, we have a lot of ways for you to follow the conference from afar! On Twitter, you can follow the conference proceedings at the #scienceafterschool hashtag. Our co-host Project Exploration will be liveblogging many of the conference events and proceedings--check out their blog at http://www.projectexploration.org/blog/. We'll try and post here and on our Facebook page too!

Are you in the LA area? Attend our upcoming conference for free!

Volunteer with the Coalition for Science After School at the National Conference on Science and Technology in Out-of-School Time in Universal City, CA on September 24th!

The 2010 National Conference on Science and Technology in Out of School Time brings together stakeholders in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, including policymakers, researchers, funders, scientists, program directors, and advocates. Attendees will learn about the latest developments in STEM education policy, funding trends, and professional development.

Volunteers will be operating simple audio recording equipment and recording breakout sessions at the conference. As a thank you from the Coalition for Science After School, you will receive lunch, compensated parking, and free admission to the plenary sessions during the rest of the day.

Volunteers will need to come to a short training to learn how to operate the equipment. Training will take place on Friday, September 24th, at 8:00 a.m.


Sessions take place during the following time slots. You can volunteer for one session in each time slot:

Friday, September 24th, 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Friday, September 24th, 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m.


Preference will be given to volunteers who can attend multiple time slots.

Full details about the conference, our great speakers, and session descriptions are available at www.scienceafterschoolconference.org under “schedule”. For more information about the Coalition for Science After School, visit our website at www.afterschoolscience.org.

E-mail Kalie at the Coalition for Science After School at kaliesacco (@) berkeley.edu with your availability, and you will receive a confirmation email with more details. We are also happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you and we hope to see you on Friday!

Descriptions for conference sessions are now available!

We're getting really excited for the 2010 National Conference on Science and Technology in Out-of-School Time, coming up in just ten days! We're co-hosting the conference with Project Exploration and in partnership with Connect a Million Minds, and organizations from across the country will be coming to learn about and share their experiences in afterschool STEM education. Last week the session descriptions went LIVE on the conference website. We'll be having a total of 25 breakout sessions, plus two plenary sessions and a keynote address from Dr. Pedro Noguera, a leading urban sociologist interested in how social and economic conditions affect education.

We'll also have lots of opportunities for networking with funders, researchers, and providers, and a fun program showcase where you can learn more about programs from across the country. 

You can visit the official conference website here to learn more details about our speakers, presenters, and sessions. For now, I wanted to share a snapshot of the breakout sessions. Here are some of the titles and presenters:

How National Youth Organizations are Approaching STEM

Veronica Escobedo, Girls Inc.; Pam Garza, 4-H; Mary Grybeck, Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Sharon Junge, 4-H; Stephanie Lingwood, Girl Scouts of Western Washington; Kate Pickle, Girl Scouts of America

Pathways into Science – A Longitudinal Perspective

Robert Tai, University of Virginia

The Coalition for Science After School: Making High Quality Science as Integral to the
After School Experience as Snack and Basketball

Mike Radke, The Coalition for Science After School

Digital Youth Network: Using 21st Century Tools to Enhance Impact of Out-of-School Learning Experiences

Nichole Pinkard, DePaul University/Digital Youth Network

Supporting Exploration of Identity in Youth Programs

Diane Miller, St. Louis Science Center; Holly Hughes, Sam Noble Museum

Building Capacity for Science and Youth Development in OST: Findings from a Ten Year Alumni Study

Gabrielle Lyon, Project Exploration; Bernadette Chi, Lawrence Hall of Science

The Common Core Initiative and National Standards for STEM

Jason Zimba, Bennington College

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

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

Inquiry and Curriculum Through an Equity Lens

Maryann Stimmer, Educational Equity Center at AED; Heather Gibbons, St. Louis Science Center

There are still a few spots available if you would like to register online, or if you're in the LA area, you can register at the door. The conference will take place from September 23rd-24th, with a special pre-conference symposium on the 22nd, in Universal City (LA), CA. I'll see you there!

Beat the Back-to-School Blues with Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day

With Labor Day weekend just a few hours away as of this writing, the summer is officially coming to a close. Many museums and science centers experience low visitation during these early school months, since teachers rarely plan field trips so early in the school year.

During the summer, museums and science centers provide lots of services (not to mention air-conditioning) to vacationing families, summer campers, and parents and students who want to beat the summer "brain drain." But in September, the focus switches to classroom and homework time. 

Low visitation means less crowds and more time spent with exciting exhibits, making September a great time to visit museums after school and on the weekends. Maybe that's why Smithsonian Magazine is having Museum Day on September 25th! Print out the admission ticket on their website and visit a participating museum near you (we love science museums, of course, but there are lots of art museums, natural history museums, and children's museums participating).

Check it out at the Smithsonian Magazine website !