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June resources from Million Girls Moonshot

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June resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for June 2024

ACRES Coaching: Make Math Engaging

Mondays: 6/3, 6/17, and 7/1 at 10AM- 12PM EST / 7AM - 9:00AM PST

Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines in our afterschool programs. In this module, afterschool educators will explore and practice strategies for making math engaging and accessible. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC352MP (Coach Becky T)

Info Session about Micro-credentials and Digital Badging

Thursday, June 6th 4:00 - 5:00 pm EST / 1:00 - 2:00pm PST

ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) is excited to offer additional Information Sessions about STEM micro-credentials, which are competency-based, digital badges for afterschool and out-of-school professionals offered through the National Afterschool Association. These sessions are free, live, interactive, and one hour in length.  You will learn about what Micro-credentials are and how to apply for them. PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM, choose the date that works best for you, and we'll reach out to you with the Zoom link. FMI contact acres@mmsa.org (Note: It isn’t necessary to attend more than one informational session as the content is consistent.)

Asking Purposeful Questions- Evening Cohort

Mondays: 6/10, 6/17, and 6/24 at 6PM- 8PM EST / 3PM - 5PM PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC332PQ (Coach Emma C)

Transformative Practices for June 2024

The Million Girls Moonshot aims to raise awareness of the following four research-based practices — Equity and Inclusion, Engineering Mindsets, Role Model, Mentors, and Families, and STEM Pathways and Transition — proven to remove barriers to access and quality STEM learning experiences. Resources, toolkits, blogs, and activities that elevate these four Transformative Practices can be found below and on the Million Girls Moonshot Toolkit.

Equity and Inclusion

  • Access to STEM Framework: To improve the overall quality of out-of-school STEM programs, we need to address how program providers design and implement programming to increase access in STEM for youth who have been underrepresented in the STEM fields. Partnering with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and national experts, we have developed an Access to STEM Framework — a guide for supporting program providers in this transformation. Download the Framework.
     
  • From Access to Equity: Making Out-of-School-Time Spaces Meaningful for Teens from Marginalized Communities: This brief summarizes findings from Wallace-commissioned research about key challenges and promising practices toward equity in out-of-school-time programs engaging historically marginalized youth populations. This report captures the ideas and recommendations gleaned from a literature review and interviews with OST policy influencers, program directors, youth workers, and scholars across the nation.

Engineering Mindsets

  • Engineering Mindset Overview: An engineering mindset refers to the attitudes and thinking skills associated with engineering — using a systematic engineering design process, considering real-world problems, applying math and science, and working in teams. The Moonshot focuses on 10 engineering practices. An overview of each practice follows and subsequent briefs will explore each one individually.

Role Models, Mentors, and Families

Role models, mentors, and family engagement in a young person’s STEM education leads to increased interest, greater self-confidence, and ultimately a stronger STEM identity. Developing a science-related identity increases the likelihood that students will work toward developing science literacy, or even pursue a career in a science or STEM-related field.

Activity: Lesson plan: Who is an inventor, anyways? | PBS NewsHour Classroom In this lesson, students will learn about what it means to be an inventor and think creatively about improving something they are passionate about. First, students will watch a short video about a teen inventor who used creative thinking to improve the experience of others. Then students will draw connections between the young inventor and their own passions and interests.

Article: 35 of the most revolutionary inventions that shaped our world - Interesting Engineering From ancient tools to the latest digital advances, these human inventions changed the world and transformed life on Earth.

Article: Things You Didn't Know Were Invented by Black Women (businessinsider.com) Black women have invented satellite technology and instruments for cataract surgery.  This short (and incomplete list) highlights important contributions by Black women.

Article: How Hedy Lamarr and Her Inventions Changed the World (leaders.com) Hedy Lamarr was the type of woman judgmental people love to underestimate. She was only known for her beauty and once known as the most beautiful woman in the world and was an actress in films. However, as Lamarr once said, “The brains of people are more interesting than the looks...” This especially rang true with her. She was one of the most prolific inventors of the 20th century, embodying the phrase “women in tech” before the concept even existed. She invented the technology that powers so much of our world today. developed frequency hopping—the technology behind WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. She said: “All creative people want to do the unexpected.”

Article: 51 Female Inventors and Inventions That Changed the World - Interesting Engineering  hese 51 women optimized the inventor’s spirit and created life-changing inventions and discoveries that forever transformed our world. Meet the women behind these world-changing discoveries and inventions who brought not only creativity but determination to succeed.  

Article: BBC 100 Women: Nine things you didn't know were invented by women  When we think of inventors, do we think of the woman who invented space station batteries?  Call waiting and caller ID? Learn about these amazing women and their inventions that are used every day.

STEM Pathways and Transitions

Research tells us that continuous engagement and exposure rather than limited one-time opportunities are needed to nurture the interest and motivation necessary for children to pursue STEM pathways long term. The Moonshot aims to understand and support transitions and handoffs that remove barriers for youth by connecting STEM learning across ages and settings, ensuring youth interest and motivation persists.

  • Possible Futures — Career Exploration Curriculum: Open source curriculum that complements and enriches both school and afterschool settings 1) expanding career awareness through authentic experiential learning opportunities; 2) encouraging students to explore their diverse interests, talents, and options; 3) enlivening STEM subjects by bringing in real-world and career contexts; 4) empowering students to develop vital employability skills; and 5) engaging students in making informed choices.

Below are some adaptations of the Possible Futures Career Exploration Curriculum specifically for afterschool and summer programs:

  • Communicating & Collaborating: Twelve lessons that combine lessons from the Communication and Collaboration units from the Skills for Success module from the Possible Futures Career Exploration Curriculum
     
  • Career Exploration Activities: Designed specifically for Out-of-School Time (OST) providers looking for engaging hands-on and collaborative activities:

Activities for June 2024

Interactive online resource: Surfers Against Sewage Virtual Tour | Explore in 360° (digitaloceanschool.com) Videos and interactive activities to teach about conservation.  After learning about them, students have the opportunity to protect the resources.

Fact sheet: Why should we care about the ocean? (noaa.gov) Our ocean provides countless benefits to our planet and all the creatures that live here. It gives us more than half of the oxygen we breathe. It regulates the climate, absorbs a quarter of the carbon that we put into the atmosphere every year, provides livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people, and contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy. Get the facts!

Interactive online activities: For Students | Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (noaa.gov) National marine sanctuaries are living classrooms that can be explored in person or through interactive digital labs and activities., Find games, online story books, information on marine careers, activities, free materials and other cool stuff on this NOAA website.

Activity: Hands-on science activities | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov) hands-on activities that can be done in 15-30 minutes that get students thinking about how things really work, and how to engineer a cleaner, safer ocean.

Activity: Drinking Water Cleanup | STEM Activity (sciencebuddies.org) Where does drinking water come from?  ? It comes out of the faucet, but how does it get there? Drinking water all over the world originates from either surface waters—such as lakes, reservoirs, and rivers—or from underground sources, such as groundwater. Create (engineer) a filter to clean water to the point where it is clean enough to drink

Activity: Environmental Engineering STEM Activities for Kids (sciencebuddies.org) Wind turbines are large towers with blades on top that are spun by the wind. They are a great source of clean, renewable energy. Environmental engineers have to figure out where to put wind turbines so they get the best exposure to steady, consistent winds. In this project, students play the role of an environmental engineer and figure out whether it is a good idea to put wind turbines near tall buildings

Activity: 15 Cool Conservation Activities for Kids (mummymummymum.com) These hands-on, minds-on activities allow kids to understand conservation and the importance of it through activities and learning instead of hearing about it in a textbook. While you can’t make all environmental concepts visual, conservation is a great place to start! Here are 15 cool conservation activities for kids to do that incorporate engineering.

Activity: Building a Grape Smasher - Click 2 Engineering Using simple, readily available materials. work in a team to design a machine from simple supplies that can smash a grape.  Click2Engineering includes activity instructions, a video, and links to other resources.

August resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for August 2024 ACRES Coaching: Making Math Engaging Thursdays: 8/22, 9/5, 9/19/2024 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST / 10:00 am- Noon PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      08/06/24

New resource database for programs interested in STEM, civic engagement, and youth empowerment

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are excited to showcase the systemic change...

BY: Leah Silverberg      08/05/24

Integrating play-based learning and STEM practices

By Blythe Romano, Research Specialist with the Association of Children’s Museums. Since 2020, the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and Oregon State University STEM Research Center (OSU) has been working on the development of a set of tools that explore the intersection of play...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/18/24

Highlights from the Flight Crew Experience at Girls Build Solutions 2024

After six months of virtual programming as members of the Million Girls Moonshot 2024 Flight Crew, from June 24 to 26, 2024, young STEM advocates met in-person at Girls Build Solutions (GBS) 2024! The Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew, launched by STEM Next Opportunity to engage millions more...

BY: Elizabeth Bannan      07/09/24

July resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for July 2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 7/8, 7/22, and 8/5/2024 2:00- 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am- 1:00 pm PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      07/02/24

Afterschool STEM policy updates: June 2024

Members of the Afterschool STEM Hub meeting with Jacquelun Southerland in Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)'s office during the 2024 Afterschool for All Challenge With summer upon us, the country’s economy–and its STEM advocates–remain focused on fulfilling the promise of the...

BY: Leslie Brooks      06/28/24

Youth voice in afterschool STEM: Peeking behind the curtain

STEM learning in afterschool has really taken off over the past decade and there is little doubt of the importance of these spaces for engaging young people with STEM. The most recent America After 3PM study tells us that 73% of afterschool programs offer STEM and that 72% of parents look for these...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      06/27/24

OST STEM preparing young people for “green jobs”

Photo courtesy of Oasis Bike Workshop By Katie Headrick Taylor, Associate Professor, University of Washington’s College of Education. In 2021, President Biden proposed that 10 million green jobs be part of the federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. These “green...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/24

Afterschool programs fill the AI skills gap

By Audra Darbyshire, Creative Manager at Technovation. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/06/24

June resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for June 2024 ACRES Coaching: Make Math Engaging Mondays: 6/3, 6/17, and 7/1 at 10AM- 12PM EST / 7AM - 9:00AM PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines in...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/03/24

August resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for August 2024 ACRES Coaching: Making Math Engaging Thursdays: 8/22, 9/5, 9/19/2024 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST / 10:00 am- Noon PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      08/06/24

Highlights from the Flight Crew Experience at Girls Build Solutions 2024

After six months of virtual programming as members of the Million Girls Moonshot 2024 Flight Crew, from June 24 to 26, 2024, young STEM advocates met in-person at Girls Build Solutions (GBS) 2024! The Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew, launched by STEM Next Opportunity to engage millions more...

BY: Elizabeth Bannan      07/09/24

July resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for July 2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 7/8, 7/22, and 8/5/2024 2:00- 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am- 1:00 pm PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      07/02/24

June resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for June 2024 ACRES Coaching: Make Math Engaging Mondays: 6/3, 6/17, and 7/1 at 10AM- 12PM EST / 7AM - 9:00AM PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines in...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/03/24

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

May resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for May 2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Wednesdays: 5/8, 5/22, 6/5/2024 2:00 - 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 - 1:00 pm PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      05/13/24

Million Girls Moonshot resources for April

Trainings for April  2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Tuesdays: 4/16, 4/30, and 5/14/2024 11:00 am- 1:00 pm EST / 8:00 - 10:00 am PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      04/04/24

Million Girls Moonshot resources for March

Trainings for March 2024 ACRES Coaching: Make Math Engaging Wednesdays: 3/20 and 4/3/2024, 2 - 4 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      03/07/24

February resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for February 2024 Click2Engineering: Asking Purposeful Questions Coaching 2/1; 2/15; 3/7 from 12:00 - 2:00pm EST / 9:00 - 11:00am PST Click2Engineering is offering an ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) training on Asking Purposeful Questions in...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      02/06/24

January resources from Million Girls Moonshot

January: National Mentoring Month Talk Technology with Verizon Employees  January 30th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm ET Give your students real-world applications of STEM with a LIVE talk with STEM professionals.  With your students, tune into this live webinar, to learn more about the...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/29/24

New resource database for programs interested in STEM, civic engagement, and youth empowerment

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are excited to showcase the systemic change...

BY: Leah Silverberg      08/05/24

Youth voice in afterschool STEM: Peeking behind the curtain

STEM learning in afterschool has really taken off over the past decade and there is little doubt of the importance of these spaces for engaging young people with STEM. The most recent America After 3PM study tells us that 73% of afterschool programs offer STEM and that 72% of parents look for these...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      06/27/24

Afterschool programs fill the AI skills gap

By Audra Darbyshire, Creative Manager at Technovation. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/06/24

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution. By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

Youth Action for the Planet

Photo Credit: California Academy of Sciences By Aleks Liou, Program Manager at Youth Action for the Planet. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/30/24

Engaging in the process of science using the FieldScope community and citizen science platform

By Jessica R. Bean, Ph.D., UC Berkeley. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the  intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/01/24

Youth at the helm: Exploring sustainability through teen-led initiatives

By Lindsey DeLorey, Public Events and Youth Programs Coordinator at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs...

BY: Guest Blogger      02/23/24

Looking ahead in 2024 – what’s coming up for our afterschool STEM work?

I hope the new year has launched well for all of you! After a year of changes in our afterschool STEM work and team, we are energized about the year ahead! 2023 saw us bringing on Leslie Brooks as our new Afterschool STEM Hub Manager to revitalize our federal afterschool STEM policy work. We...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      01/31/24

Teen Science Cafés: Teens and STEM experts exploring our world together

Photo courtesy of Louisa Otto, Sanford PROMISE Teen Science Café. By Katey Ahmann, Director of Teen Science Café Network and Kristin Bayans, Manager of Network Engagement at Teen Science Café Network. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/25/24

Integrating play-based learning and STEM practices

By Blythe Romano, Research Specialist with the Association of Children’s Museums. Since 2020, the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and Oregon State University STEM Research Center (OSU) has been working on the development of a set of tools that explore the intersection of play...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/18/24

Afterschool STEM policy updates: June 2024

Members of the Afterschool STEM Hub meeting with Jacquelun Southerland in Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)'s office during the 2024 Afterschool for All Challenge With summer upon us, the country’s economy–and its STEM advocates–remain focused on fulfilling the promise of the...

BY: Leslie Brooks      06/28/24

OST STEM preparing young people for “green jobs”

Photo courtesy of Oasis Bike Workshop By Katie Headrick Taylor, Associate Professor, University of Washington’s College of Education. In 2021, President Biden proposed that 10 million green jobs be part of the federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. These “green...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/24

Afterschool is increasing digital opportunity: Here’s how

Many afterschool programs offer spaces where youth, who might not have broadband access at home, can develop digital literacy outside of the school day, increasing digital access opportunities for both the youth and their communities. Even more important, though, is how afterschool programs...

BY: Leslie Brooks      05/28/24

Hot off the press: Spring Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review

The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is happy to share the spring edition of our Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review newsletter with the afterschool community! This newsletter aims to provide you with summaries of recent research from the field of afterschool,...

BY: Leslie Brooks      05/16/24

Afterschool STEM Hub hosts Capitol Hill briefing on impact of afterschool STEM programs on older youth

Panel featuring Anita Krishnamurthi, Zainab Abbas, Natalie Taitano, Siobhán Hayes, and Jubei Brown-Weaver. Photo courtesy of Liana Shivers. On Thursday, April 11, 2024, the Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, hosted a congressional briefing on the benefits of...

BY: Leslie Brooks      04/29/24

Congress wraps up FY2024 spending with mixed results for STEM education

by Della Cronin, principal of the Bose Public Affairs Group. The 118th Congress recently completed the fiscal year 2024 budget and appropriations process via the enactment of two packages of spending bills. The two massive measures each included six spending bills. The first invests $467.5...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/08/24

An afterschool STEM advocacy story

Photo courtesy of California Academy of Sciences By Rachael Van Schoik, Science Action Club Manager, California Academy of Sciences. My advocacy story is Science Action Club’s (SAC) advocacy story. A program within the California Academy of Sciences, a world renowned museum and research...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/15/24

Guest blog: Creating tomorrow’s engineers with Design Squad Latinx

By Nicki Sirianni, Education Outreach and Marketing Manager of GBH Education. Government, industry, research, and education leaders all agree that a strong engineering workforce is an essential part of the future economy in the U.S. and across the globe. Despite the need for more engineers,...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/04/24

Are you ready for the April 8 total solar eclipse?

Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash. By Dennis Schatz, Institute for Learning Innovation and past president of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). Do you remember the excitement around the 2017 total solar eclipse? Well, it is going to happen again on Monday, April 8 of this...

BY: Guest Blogger      02/15/24

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

Youth Action for the Planet

Photo Credit: California Academy of Sciences By Aleks Liou, Program Manager at Youth Action for the Planet. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/30/24

An afterschool STEM advocacy story

Photo courtesy of California Academy of Sciences By Rachael Van Schoik, Science Action Club Manager, California Academy of Sciences. My advocacy story is Science Action Club’s (SAC) advocacy story. A program within the California Academy of Sciences, a world renowned museum and research...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/15/24

Guest blog: Creating tomorrow’s engineers with Design Squad Latinx

By Nicki Sirianni, Education Outreach and Marketing Manager of GBH Education. Government, industry, research, and education leaders all agree that a strong engineering workforce is an essential part of the future economy in the U.S. and across the globe. Despite the need for more engineers,...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/04/24

Youth at the helm: Exploring sustainability through teen-led initiatives

By Lindsey DeLorey, Public Events and Youth Programs Coordinator at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs...

BY: Guest Blogger      02/23/24

Are you ready for the April 8 total solar eclipse?

Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash. By Dennis Schatz, Institute for Learning Innovation and past president of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). Do you remember the excitement around the 2017 total solar eclipse? Well, it is going to happen again on Monday, April 8 of this...

BY: Guest Blogger      02/15/24

Power up afterschool learning with the 4-H STEM Challenge

By Michael Compton, STEM Integrated Marketing Manager at National 4-H Council. The acronym STEM refers to the four disciplines of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. STEM is a popular content area to engage young people in exciting, engaging, hands-on learning...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/12/23

Clemson University Science Outreach Center develops graphic novel to inspire youth-led STEM Justice initiatives

By Renée Lyons,  Director of Science Outreach for Clemson University’s College of Science This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's new “Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society” (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/30/23

July resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for July 2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 7/8, 7/22, and 8/5/2024 2:00- 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am- 1:00 pm PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      07/02/24

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

Power up afterschool learning with the 4-H STEM Challenge

By Michael Compton, STEM Integrated Marketing Manager at National 4-H Council. The acronym STEM refers to the four disciplines of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. STEM is a popular content area to engage young people in exciting, engaging, hands-on learning...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/12/23

Building Capacity for Youth Climate Leadership and Action through Youth Climate Summits

Photo courtesy of The Wild Center. By Elodie Linck, The Jeanne Hutchins Youth Climate Coordinator at The Wild Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's new “Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society” (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/11/23

September resources from Million Girls Moonshot

To help students see themselves with a future in STEM and to broaden understanding of science history, it is important for students to learn about a diverse range of scientists and engineers. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we highlight a few of the Hispanic and Latinx scientists and engineers...

BY: Chris Neitzey      09/20/22

August resources from Million Girls Moonshot

The school year has started for many across the country, and the August assets from Million Girls Moonshot focus on opportunities and resources for Networks and partners to build the capacity of program providers around the four transformative programming areas: 1) Equity and Inclusion, 2)...

BY: Chris Neitzey      09/01/22

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

Teen Science Cafés: Teens and STEM experts exploring our world together

Photo courtesy of Louisa Otto, Sanford PROMISE Teen Science Café. By Katey Ahmann, Director of Teen Science Café Network and Kristin Bayans, Manager of Network Engagement at Teen Science Café Network. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/25/24

It’s time for takeoff! Applications for the 2024 Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew open on International Day of the Girl

By Veronica Gonzales, STEM Next Opportunity Fund. The Million Girls Moonshot is looking for afterschool STEM champions to join the 2024 Flight Crew! The Moonshot has launched a nation-wide search for the Flight Crew - a group of youth advocates promoting the value of out-of-school STEM learning...

BY: Guest Blogger      10/11/23

Building Capacity for Youth Climate Leadership and Action through Youth Climate Summits

Photo courtesy of The Wild Center. By Elodie Linck, The Jeanne Hutchins Youth Climate Coordinator at The Wild Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's new “Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society” (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/11/23