Manufacturing and STEM

Manufacturing skills--designing and creating the materials, parts, and products that we use every day--are a sometimes-overlooked outcome of a solid STEM background. Last week, President Obama announced the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a coalition of government, universities, and private enterprise to invest in and support manufacturing in the United States. According to Science Insider, such a partnership was a recommendation of a recent PCAST (Presidents' Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) report. A key component of the report included a National Science Foundation solicitation for a National Robotics Initiative to "accelerate the development and use of robots in the United States that work beside, or cooperatively with, people."

Manufacturing brings to mind dim factories, assembly lines, and cookie-cutter products. But modern manufacturing can have quite a different definition. Sophisticated technological components have to be designed and assembled with great skill and precision. Creating new materials that make products more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly can involve developing new manufacturing processes. And the development of robotic technology is being increasingly applied to improving the lives of people around the world, from individuals with disabilities to possibly improving agricultural sustainability.

Project-based STEM learning--a strength of afterschool programs--can lead to a promising career in manufacturing, giving students a potential edge in the global economy and the opportunity to be a driving force in the development of new technologies. Robotics programs in particular offer students the opportunity to develop technological as well as creative skills, and there are many opportunities for doing robotics in afterschool--a recent search in the National After School Science Directory found over 200 robotics teams and robotics-related summer camps across the country. 

Do you have an opportunity for K-12 or college students to develop their STEM skills in out-of-school time? Share it in the Directory! You can also find opportunities in your area in the the Connectory.

Astronomy in Afterschool

Lots of kids--and adults--are intrigued by what exists beyond our home planet. Astronomy--the study of space and the universe as a whole--is a wide field with many inherent opportunities for doing science outside of the classroom. As yesterday's Solstice and last week's lunar eclipse show, stunning astronomical events are happening all the time. Whether you're watching an astronomy show in a planetarium or working with a group to interpret planet sightings through a telescope, when you're making astronomical observations--you're doing science!

Many local and state astronomy groups are members of the Coalition for Science After School. They offer star parties, group observations, lectures from astronomy professionals, and more. No clear skies in your area? Many science centers and planetariums have regular shows, seasonal camps and afterschool classes, and special astronomy activities. Search for astronomy opportunities by zip code at the Connectory.

Looking for more resources for including astronomy in afterschool programs? Check out these resources:

• Coalition member the Astronomical Society of the Pacific offers an array of astronomy-related activities that can be done in informal settings. They also have an upcoming conference that includes a track for formal and informal educators.
• NASA's Solar System Exploration Education page has a variety of educator resources for exploring the solar system in out-of-school time, including a professional development program and individual activities that can be done in afterschool settings.
• Afterschool Universe from NASA is an out-of-school time program developed for middle school students. In addition to curriculum and activity ideas, there are trainings for educators available.

Math Curriculum Resources

Math is highly interconnected to science, technology and engineering. Math skills like working through equations are essential to working in a lab, designing a computer program, and designing a bridge. Practicing math also helps learners build up their abstract thinking skills and Not only is working through different equations essential to researching in a lab, creating a computer program, or building a bridge. 

What are some math curriculum resources that teach students math skills in an innovative, engaging way? Tell us in the comments or email us at info {at} afterschoolscience {dot} org.

Six Days Left to Honor an Innovative Afterschool Program in Your Community

The Afterschool Alliance and MetLife have partnered up to honor five outstanding afterschool programs with this year's MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards. Only six days are left until the nomination deadline of May 31st, 2011!

In addition to $10,000 furnished by MetLife, chosen programs will be featured in an Afterschool Alliance Issue Brief. It's a great way to be highlighted on a national stage!

Nominated programs should fulfill one or more of the following guidelines (taken from the Afterschool Alliance website):

Providing Opportunities for Service Learning for Middle School Students – For exemplary middle school programs that are offering service learning opportunities to middle school youth by integrating community service with instruction to enrich learning experiences, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen their communities.

Aligning Afterschool with the School Day for Middle School – For afterschool that reinforces and complements the students’ regular academic programming in school and innovatively assists students in meeting state and local academic achievement standards in core academic subjects while also broadening their learning experiences.

Addressing Middle School Bullying - For afterschool programs that address the issue of bullying in a novel and creative way to teach children the dangers of ostracizing their peers and ways to deal with bullies.

Supporting Literacy for Middle School Students – For innovative afterschool programs that are excelling in promoting increased literacy, competent writing skills and a passion for reading among participating youth.  

 Good luck to all nominated programs! We can't wait to see the results.

Career Pathways in STEM Afterschool Programs

Out-of-school time STEM programs are often designed to inspire or spark participants' interest in pursuing STEM careers. There are a few reasons why this is important in creating, designing and/or supporting programs. First, the United States--and the world--is in need of a STEM workforce, and few students are prepared to fill that need. Check out the many statistics compiled on the non-partisan, non-profit initiative Change the Equation website citing the low numbers of U.S. students who are ready for college.

Second, despite the market crash in 2008 and the slow recovery since, STEM jobs are in high-demand. According to a recent New York Times article, six of the top ten fastest-growing occupations as outlined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are STEM-related--from biological research scientists to technology specialists to medical professionals to engineers, and many of those jobs require at least a Bachelor's degree and some specialized training.

Finally, in an environment where education programs are increasingly required to justify themselves to avoid budget cuts, tying programs to college- and career-readiness allow more stakeholders to have vested interest in those programs. Companies and corporations that require science, technology, engineering, and math graduates--or students who have skills and technical training in those fields--may seek to partner with programs that promote the development of a future workforce.

If you don't currently incorporate career exploration into your afterschool program, here are some things to consider:

• What type of backgrounds do your students have? Students may have STEM skills or an interest in learning more, but depending on their backgrounds, they may not have the tools to put those skills into practice. Do they know about saving for college, the financial resources available to them, what entrance exams to take, and the timeline for applying? Are you equipped to provide that information, and if not, can you partner with a school guidance counselor or other community member?
• How old are your students? At what age do you think it is appropriate to start talking about college and careers with your students? Bringing up college and career goals in mid- to late-elementary school may be a way to help encourage goal-setting from an early age.
• Do program participants have access to real STEM professionals so they can see how their skills are put into practice? Role models and personal mentoring can be very important in supporting and shaping student interest. Check out this guide from Techbridge developed in partnership with Google for programs and professionals to get started on the mentoring process.

Great afterschool programs certainly have a place in supporting the development of a STEM workforce. To see this principle in practice, see this ten-year evaluation from renowned Chicago program Project Exploration on how high-quality science content and mentoring services can foster higher education in STEM subjects. And for even more information about different programs across the country that support STEM career exploration, see our recent LinkedIn discussion on the subject.