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.
Community Television of Southern California (KCET/Los Angeles) proposes to create a national television series supported by outreach activities designed to motivate parents to participate in and support children's learning and enjoyment of mathematics. This proposal requests National Science Foundation funding of $1 million towards a total twenty-two month project costing approximately $1.7 million. The proposed television series Math Smart (working title) will include 5 lively half-hour programs designed specifically to aid parents and other adult family members of children in first through third grade. The series will be offered for broadcast nationally on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Videocassettes of the series and an accompanying Resource Guide will also be made available for home use. National promotional and outreach activities will complement the PBS broadcast, including presentations of national educational conferences and one-day orientation workshops for parents and teachers at selected sites. Over the course of the project, process and outcome evaluation will be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the MATH SMART materials and activities. The primary goal of the MATH SMART Project is to empower parents to participate in and reinforce the learning of mathematics and a vital par t of everyday life. It is from parents that children develop the foundation for their educational success. Unfortunately, many parents do not possess the mathematical skills or confidence needed to help their children. By providing examples of hands-on learning activities which families can do together at home, MATh SMART offers parents the tools to help excite young children about mathematics. While special emphasis will be given to encouraging minority participation, this project seeks to help all parents and other primary caretakers prepare children for the 21st century.