Engaging Youth With Astronomy and TechnologyLaura Whyte

STEM workforce for the futureThe United States alone faces a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills, and a further lack of 1.5 million managers capable of analyzing Big Data and making decisions based on their findings.

Manyika et al. 2011

Science and Technology Literacy

Success in a technology rich world and equitable access to the resources of modern society is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, with women, minorities and people of low socioeconomic status being the ‘designated serfs of the information age’

Moses & Cobb 2002

S70% of physics

and science teachers have no major in

that field

T10%

American schools

offer any kind of coding

E3% of 2009

graduates had taken engineering in high

school

M2/3 of middle school maths

teachers are not

qualified

Far Horizons

HOMAGO

Hanging Out Messing

About

Teen Hangouts

November: Building Websites and

Coding

December: Capturing the Cosmos

January: Programming 3D

February: 3D Printing

March: Astronomy

April: Virtual Exhibits

May: Mapping

June: Game Design

Teen Hangouts

No Learning Objectives

No Exams

This is NOT school!

GDH 201475 High School Girls37 STEM Professional Mentors

.... cultural, stereotypes that prevail so strongly that most young women think “typical” scientists are men.....

Hill et al. 2013

PROVIDE YOUTH ACCESS TO STEM DISCIPLINES AND MENTORS.

Mentoring is one of several factors that can positively influence the success of racial and ethnic minority students in STEM.

Museus et al. 2011

Seeing women who have

succeeded in STEM is a vital for inspiring and motivating young women, especially when they can relate to these role models as people with lives outside of the lab.

Evans, Whigham, & Wang, 1995; Liston et al., 2008

STEM WorkshopsGirls show higher levels of engagement when activities encourage:

• Collaboration and cooperative peer engagement (Brickhouse et al. 2000; Stake & Nickens 2005; Williams 2006)

• Problem-solving activities that

allow multiple paths and many possible answers (Inkpen 1999)

PROVIDE AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS

STEM subjects need to be delivered in tangible and real life oriented ways.

Traurig et. al 2010

STEM SkillsHighlighting the unexpected

- Communication- Team work- Creativity

Building confidence with the expected

- Coding- Problem Solving

Targeted RecruitmentTeachers/Schools

Youth Organisations

Bus Funds

The Adler recognizes that transportation costs and lack of familiarity with museums can prevent many Chicago families from coming to the Museum Campus. Committed to engaging a broader cross-section of people with science, Adler leaders are developing innovative programs—in partnership with CPS, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Libraries, Hive Chicago Learning Network, and other community organizations—to reach students and their families where they are. Five years from now, a student’s first encounter with Adler programming may be at their school, neighborhood library, park, or community center.

EXPAND THE ADLER’S REACH IN COMMUNITIES OF NEED

Alyssa Hui (left) and Terry Melo (right) spent most of their summer writing blog posts on Zooniverse Citizen Science projects, giving presentations to their peers and Adler visitors, and doing scientific research… but they also spent some time eating candy and cupcakes with their mentor Dr. Bans.

Girl PoWeRMENTORS

+

+

AstroScienceWorkshop

Teen Interns& Volunteers

Youth Leadership Council

Family and Community Engagement

• Students demonstrated significant gains in STEM-related skills and museum related-content knowledge.

Build students’ STEM related skills and content knowledge.

• Exposure to the Adler positively affected attitudes, even from those with lower levels of involvement.

• The students with the greatest involvement experienced the greatest positive attitudinal impact.

• Positive attitudes were the results of encountering diverse experiences and feeling challenged.

Reinforce positive attitudes toward museums and STEM subjects.

• The partnership programs were able to engage a diverse community of AFAHS students and other under-represented teens.

• Programs that empowered youth to contribute made them feel highly valued.

• The diverse suite of programs provided opportunities successful in gaining student engagement beyond what was mandatory.

Develop a suite of programs that allows for multiple entry points to engender a sense of belonging within the scientific and museum community.

Engaging Youth with Astronomy and Technology• Find Partners

• Be a Mentor

• HOMAGO!

• Multiple Entry Points

• Financial Incentives Work

• Food and Transport