1. Community STEM Collaborations That Support Children and Families
- Author
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Afterschool Alliance, National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL), Global Family Research Project (GFRP), Gilbert, Dan, Silverberg, Leah, LaConte, Keliann, Holland, Anne, Caspe, Margaret, and Hanebutt, Rachel
- Abstract
Youth are natural scientists at birth, discovering and exploring their world and trying to make sense of it (Bers, 2008). A child's education is not limited to just the time they spend in the classroom. Children learn at home with their families, in public libraries, or through out-of-school-time (OST) experiences provided at community centers and in afterschool and summer learning programs, and even on vacations (Falk et al., 2010). In this paper, the authors endeavor to make the case that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is an ideal subject area that can engage children with fun, active learning activities. It is also an important societal area around which parents, librarians, and OST providers can collaborate and complement the work of schools. [The paper was also written in collaboration with the Space Science Institute/STAR Library Network.]
- Published
- 2020