The Wildlife Conservation Society is developing and implementing a five-year science program for 420 parents and 210 teachers of children in grades K-8. Linked directly with school curricula and the new National Science Education Standards, the program will bridge the gap between parents and schools, and position the Zoo as a partner and intermediary to help parents and teachers improve the quality and quantity of science education. The program consists of four interrelated components: 1) A series of workshops that will prepare the 420 parents and 210 teachers to work in teams for better and more widely available science education; 2) A series of education projects that will enable workshop participants to teach thousands of other parents and educators about the importance of science literacy, the need for active parental engagement in children's education, and the crucial role that informal science institutions play in augmenting formal science instruction; 3) A series of four Science Advocacy Fairs at the Zoo that are expected to raise the visitor's consciousness on a large scale about the above issues; and 4) A symposium for educators from schools and informal science centers in the region to disseminate successful methods for involving parents in science education.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science proposed to develop an outreach science and mathematics program with a parent involvement and teacher enhancement professional development component. The goals of the project are as follows: (1) to involve parents in their children's education; (2) to promote a positive attitude on behalf of parents and students toward science and mathematics; (3) to increase teachers' level of comfort in teaching science; and (4) to enhance teacher's confidence in the hands-on approach as an effective method for teaching science. The objectives for the parent component of this project are: acquaint parents with the national and state science education goals and standards; introduce parents to activities that can be done at home with children; and provide families with materials and activity sheets that can be used at home. The objectives for the teacher component of this project are: (1) to provide teachers with opportunities for increased communication with parents about science literacy for children; (2) provide professional development for teachers on the use of hands-on science activities in the classroom; and (3) to providing bilingual activity guides and kits containing materials to encourage science learning. The methods for implementing this project will be varied according to the needs of the target audiences. Parents and children will be engaged through parent workshops and multi-aged children's activities conducted at the museum by experienced science educators. The professional development for teachers' component of this project will include an extensive summer workshop, on-going training/ planning sessions during the school calendar year and session on the uses of the bilingual teaching manuals. The cost sharing for this NSF award is 46.7% of the total project cost.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Madeleine ZeiglerJayne Aubele
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Under the direction of Kevin Crowley, the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh will investigate gender bias in parental explanations in informal learning settings. This project, Responding to the Gender Gap in Informal Science Education, will build on previous research at children's museums where the conversations of 338 families with children eight years and younger at sixteen different interactive exhibits were recorded and analyzed. They found that parents were almost three times more likely to use explanations when interacting with boys than girls. In this project they will conduct additional research to isolate the causes and outcomes associated with gender bias in these parental explanations and then they will develop, evaluate, and disseminate a range of low-cost methods to modify science exhibits to support parental explanation to both girls and boys. The latter will take the form of an Explanation Toolbox (XBox) which will be a set of resources to help museums construct and evaluate their own modifications to support non-biased parental explanations, with special attention paid to including explanations for the young girls, in addition to the usual conversations about manipulating the exhibits and about the visual, auditory, and tactile information produced by the exhibit. Results of the research and the toolbox will be broadly disseminated via the World Wide Web and published research reports.
The Science Museum of Minnesota, in collaboration with Discovery Place and Science North, is producing a pilot stage for a large format film on the life work of Dr. Jane Goodall; her principal research site, Gombe National park in Tanzania; and her study subject, chimpanzees. The film will be a journey into the world of the wild chimpanzee with Dr. Jane Goodall, the best know living woman scientist among adults in the United States. It will chronicle Goodall's life work as well as the work of other researchers in Gombe. Accompanying educational material will include a companion kiosk exhibit, a leadership institute for museum educators, an online program, and women-in-science classes for children and parents. During this pilot stage, the project team will produce large format test footage in Gombe and will further develop the script for the film. The principal science advisor for the project will be Dr. Anne Pusey, professor and director of the Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies at the University of Minnesota. She will serve as a Co-PI along with Mike Day of the Science Museum of Minnesota; Freda Nicholson, CEO of Discovery Place; and Sue Griswold, VP for Programs and Education at Discovery Place. Mike Day also will co-executive produce the film with Jim Marchbank, CEO of Science North.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Mike DaySue GriswoldAnne PuseyFreda NicholsonBarbara Flagg
Learning to Work with the Public in the Context of Local Systemic Change is a five-year Teacher Enhancement initiative to build a knowledge base and develop the necessary tools and resources for teachers and administrators to engage with their parents and public in pursuit of quality mathematics, and to prepare teacher leaders and administrators to successfully lead these efforts in their schools. The project has three major components: (1) focused and sustained work with teachers, administrators, school boards, parents and the public in strategically located current and potential NSF-supported Local Systemic Change communities; (2) the development and implementation of mathematics sessions and materials designed for parents/public and informed by the project's research/findings, and the preparation of teacher leaders and administrators to conduct these sessions within their own communities; and (3) dissemination conferences and other outreach activities. More specifically, the project will (a) engage in studies that identify the elements critical for successful intervention with parents and the public, (b) develop materials that can be used by lead teachers and other educational leaders to work with peer teachers and the broader public in their home communities, and (c) provide the professional development necessary to support implementation. The plan of work for the project is designed around the following questions: (1) What does it take to secure a public that is knowledgeable of issues in mathematics education and knowledgeable of what it means to teach important and relevant mathematics for understanding? (2) Will a knowledgeable public support and/or actively advocate for mathematics reform? If so, what is the nature of their advocacy? (3) What impact will a knowledgeable and/or proactive public have on the efforts of current and potential Local Systemic Change (LSC) projects to improve the quality of mathematics instruction in schools? (4) Are there critical times during mathematics restructuring efforts when parent engagement is essential? If so, what are those times and what is the nature of support needed? (5) What are the critical issues and caveats that need to be considered in designing and delivering successful mathematics education sessions for parents and the public? (6) What kinds of public engagement can best be accomplished by teacher leaders working within their own communities? What kinds of support do local leaders need in order to work successfully with parents and the public? (7) What kinds of public engagement can best be accomplished by national mathematics education leaders who come into a community on a limited basis? The work to be performed in the project is a carefully designed effort to develop a more practice-based understanding of the critical elements needed for productive public involvement in support of quality mathematics. Sites participating in the plan of work are Portland (OR), St. Vrain (CO), and San Francisco (CA). Resources and tools (e.g., deliverables) planned include professional development materials that can be used by teacher leaders and administrators as they work with peer teachers, as well as with parents and the public; rough-cut video tapes that are potentially useful in these professional development sessions; and a website. Cost sharing is derived from participating school districts and the Exxon and Intel Foundations.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Ruth ParkerJaneane GolliherDominic PeressiniLisa Adajian
The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network requests $1,518,318 to develop and pilot, in ten low-income communities, a two-pronged initiative for providing professional development for parents to be stronger advocates for their children in science, mathematics and technology. The objectives for this project are to prepare a cadre of parents (or parent surrogates) at each of ten pilot sites to advocate for a stronger participation in quality science, mathematics, and technology education for their own and other children; to establish an information and support network from which parents can retrieve educational resources via QEM's Website, an 800-telephone number, fax, and e-mail, and regular postal service. The pilot sites are Lowndes County, AL; targeted communities in Cleveland and Florence, SC; seven public housing communities in Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, New York (Brooklyn and Jamaica), Norfolk, VA, and Tallahassee, FL. The Community Service Centers (CSC's) established on neighboring college campuses serve the seven public housing communities with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, with technical assistance provided by the QEM Network. The participating neighboring colleges are Clark-Atlanta University, Morgan State University, Chicago State University, New York City Technical College, York College, Norfolk State University, and Florida A&M University.
The Wildlife Conservation Society will develop "Congo Gorilla Forest." This will be a 6.5 acre outdoor exhibit that will provide visitors with a realistic trip through a living Congo Ecosystem, ending in an arms-length observation of a colony of 30 Lowland Gorillas living in a natural setting. The science presented in this exhibit is based on much of the seminal research that has been carried out on the Congo Forest environment by scientists at the Zoo. During their trip visitors will be able to explore and develop their own insights into this dynamic ecosystem and at the end will be drawn into difficult conservation issues. The exhibit will include the Rain Forest Trail, Living Treasures of the Congo Gallery, Conservation Showcase and Theater, Great Apes Gallery, and the Conservation Choices Pavilion. In addition there will be a menu of complementary formal education materials to include parent workshops, teacher training activities, and instructional materials. Linkages have been made with the New York Urban Systemic Initiative and the formal education programs will complement the goals of this systemic initiative. Given the Zoo's location in the Bronx, given the Zoo's reputation as a leader in wildlife conservation, and given the Zoo's renewed commitment to quality visitor experience and learning activities, this exhibit will break new ground in the exhibition of animals and informal learning activities of visitors. It will have an impact on zoos throughout the world. They anticipate 750,000 visitors annually for the Congo Gorilla Forest.
The Massachusetts SSI (Project PALMS) will conduct this project in partnership with MITS (the Museum Institute for Teaching Science, Inc.) and will develop, demonstrate the effectiveness of, and disseminate a locally-driven model for parental involvement in mathematics, science, and technology education. The model builds on the SSI structure by starting with parents who are active in PALMS District Leadership Teams for Systemic Change (approximately 2900 parents). These parents will have opportunities for additional training with materials such as Project PRISM, EQUALS, AAAS, etc. These support the new State frameworks and assessments developed through he SSI, and are also in support of the high quality curriculum materials recommended for implementation in schools. Parents will then develop local plans for engaging other parents in their communities. Materials will be developed, including a manual on How to Build Coalitions to Engage Community Members in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Reform. In addition, materials will be developed and outreach activities will be conducted to include activities for parents and children (estimated to reach an additional 21,000 parents) held in nontraditional environments such as subways, laundromats, health clinics, and malls. Products will include a manual on building coalitions to engage communities in supporting mathematics and science reform, and a collection of field-tested prototype outreach activities. Findings will be disseminated through the Eisenhower Consortia, National PTA, Urban League, and National Council of La Raza.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Thomas NoonanMary Jane SchmittPendred Noyce
The Franklin Institute Science Museum will, over a three year period, develop a regional Girl Scout leader training programthat provides science education experiences for Girl Scouts. The Girl Scout Council of Greater Philadelphia and the Washington Rock, NJ Council will be primary partners and the source of volunteer leaders and the target audience of member girls. Science Education kits will be developed and tested for Brownies and Juniors, training materials for staff trainers and volunteer leaders developed, leaders trained, and several post.training support mechanisms developed. Program materials are designed for continued use by the Girl Scouts; more than 2,000 leaders will be trained and 20,000 girls will participate in project activities during the three year period. This project is directed at the substantial under representation of women in many science and engineering fields by working with girls in informal settings to overcome patterns of science and mathematics avoidance. Replication and dissemination will be undertaken both within the Girl Scout Council system and among museums, youth organizations, and other informal educators. The proposers are contributing nearly $250,000 in resources to the project; NSF support will be 55% of the project total.
WGBH Educational Foundation will produce and distribute 10 new episodes of the award-winning TV series PEEP and the Big Wide World, launching a new initiative "Anywhere Math". In addition, funds will help launch an expanded PEEP Web site, and develop and evaluate an outreach plan targeted to Native American preschoolers. PEEP's three intended impacts are to (1) engage preschoolers in science explorations that promote positive attitudes and inquiry skills, (2) empower parents to encourage and support their children's science activities and promote the ideas of "science play", and (3) provide educational resources and professional development for preschool educators via a curriculum that contributes to the emerging field of preschool science and math education. Project partners include Head Start, Science Olympiad, Countdown to Kindergarten, and the Boston Children's Museum. The series is produced by WGBH and broadcast on TLC and Discovery Kids. This upcoming season the show will also be broadcast on public television via APT. Goodman Research Group will conduct formative and summative evaluations to assess project impact.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum will expand their "My Place by the Bay" theme with new programmatic elements that "reinforce the theme that people, plants and animals live together and depend upon each other to survive." Three new activity areas will be developed that focus on science learning: A) an outdoor "Tot Lot" for early science learners; B) an outdoor "Discovery Cove" focusing on place-specific elements of their bayshore site; and C) an indoor recreated "Research Vessel" outfitted with a simulated navigaion station and marine biology laboratory. The learning goals for these three areas are: 1) "The Bay environment is home to many living things"; and 2) "I can do science to explore and learn about my world". The "Tot Lot," built into a hill, will be a one-half acre, multi-sensory, outdoor, prepared environment for children under five to learn about animals living in three distinct Bay habitats: woodland, stream and meadow. The "Discovery Cove" will be a two-acre area prepared environment for children up to age eight. Learners will be encouraged to see the bay as an integrated system that includes animal adaptations, ecological relationships and human activity. The "Research Vessel" is inspired by the R/V Questuary and is the place where visitors will use authentic tools to do science. Other features of this project include an integrated system of Parenting Messages that includes special signage for parents and a Families Ask Guide for families with children ages seven and under that is a joint effort of DABM, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Golden Gate National Parks Association. They will also develop a series of teacher workshops that will link this informal learning space with the needs of formal education. One specific school group with whom they will work is the Junipero Serra, an NSF Urban Systemic Intiative site.
Family Science: Expanding Community Support for Inquiry-based Science is the University of Washington's innovative five-year plan for reaching youth and families in the Seattle school district. This program represents an enhancement of the NSF-funded Family Science program targeting grades K-5 and expansion of this successful program to include middle and high school students. The proposed activities, Science Explorations, Inquiry Science Conferences and Community Celebrations, are designed to help parents understand inquiry-based science instruction while heightening students' confidence in their ability to understand science processes. The hands-on activities also support and complement Seattle's Local Systemic Change project by enlisting teachers, parents and community members to champion science education outside of the formal school setting. The implementation strategy includes workshops to train Family Science Lead Teachers and Parent/Community Leaders to coordinate Family Science programs. Subsequent partnerships between teachers and community organizations are designed to establish regional clusters of community networks to support programmatic activities during and beyond the funding period. It is estimated that Family Science will result in the presentation of nearly 300 school and community-based events impacting 10,000 individuals.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Leroy HoodEthan AllenDana RileyPatrick Ehrman