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February Resources from Million Girls Moonshot

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February Resources from Million Girls Moonshot

The Million Girls Moonshot is excited to launch recruitment for the inaugural 2022 Moonshot Flight Crew. They are looking for youth advocates — young scientists, engineers, inventors, builders, and leaders who have been inspired by their experience outside of the school classroom. The application window is open through February 25, 2022.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the Million Girls Moonshot in your state, please connect with your statewide afterschool network

Moonshot Flight Crew

The Million Girls Moonshot is launching its inaugural Flight Crew! 

The Flight Crew is a cohort of youth advocates, ages 13-18, who are committed to creating equity for girls in STEM through elevating youth voices and inspiring future STEM leaders. We are looking for young scientists, engineers, inventors, builders, and leaders who have been inspired by their experience outside of the school classroom.  Flight Crew members will participate in six months of virtual programming where they will hone their leadership and advocacy skills using their own experiences from afterschool STEM learning. Those selected will be eligible for a $1000 stipend, an all-expense paid trip to the annual Million Girls Moonshot summer 2022 event, and thanks to our partners, an all-expense paid opportunity to go to  Space Camp for summer 2023.

The Flight Crew application is open to youth ages 13 to 18 who identify as female, gender-expansive, or outside of the identity of cis-gender male. Applicants will share their views in a written, video, or art piece. Applications are due February 25, 2022. Apply here! https://milliongirlsmoonshot.org/moonshot-flight-crew!

Engineer Week 

Moonshot partners at DiscoverE Education have developed tools, resources, and ideas to engage partners and programs in your state! 

Schedule and hashtags

  • Sunday, February 20: #Eweek2022 Kick Off
  • Monday, February 21: Launch of #WhatEngineersDo campaign
  • Thursday, February 24: Celebrate #GirlDay2022
  • Saturday, February 26: Last Day of #Eweek2022
  • Friday, March 4: Celebrate #WorldEngineeringDay

Check out the Celebrate section for helpful tips and promotional resources.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering

Celebrate Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on February 24, 2022! 

DiscoverE’s Girl Day is a time when volunteers, educators, and others act as role models, facilitate engineering activities, and show girls how engineers change our world. 

Earn an A+ from all of the girls who attend your Girl Day celebrations with these planning guides:

Life is messy and your child doesn’t always deal with clear-cut problems. Join Technovation to learn about the Engineering Design Process and how this framework can help anybody approach all sorts of complex problems both within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and out. In this session we will focus on the different steps of the Engineering Design Process, including iteration and developing resistance to failure in STEM.

REGISTER HERE

Quality Trainings  

AUDIENCE: FOR NETWORK STEM/MOONSHOT STAFF & AFTER SCHOOL EDUCATORS  

ACRES is a nationally acclaimed coaching program that builds knowledge and skills so after school educators, librarians and anyone who works with youth in out-of-school settings can confidently facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) experiences for youth. More information found here.

ACRES February Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions

Questions are the beginning of a path towards 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 designed for educators who have some experience facilitating STEM learning and would like to grow in their practice within a supportive group of other educators. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Stipends are offered to participants who complete feedback surveys before and after a module.

Cohort dates and times are: Thursdays February 20, March 13 and 17: 9 to 11 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES March Cohort: Modeling Engineering Practices 

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem solving? In this module, participants gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. They examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. *This ACRES skill and cohort is designed for participants who have ideally already done either Asking Purposeful Questions of Ready Set STEM. 

Cohort dates and times are: Tuesdays, March 8 and 22, and April 5 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST; or Thursdays, March 3, 17, and 31 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES March Cohort: Modeling Science Practices

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in the science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences of questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts.*This ACRES skill and cohort is designed for participants who have ideally already done either Asking Purposeful Questions of Ready Set STEM. 

Cohort dates and times are: Thursdays, March 31, April 14 and 28 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES April Cohort: Ready, Set, STEM! & Asking Purposeful Questions

Are you ready to bring meaningful STEM learning into your program? This module offers educators who are new to facilitating STEM the opportunity to build supportive relationships with other educators while exploring the principles of STEM learning. This module combines an introduction to STEM facilitation with the skill of Asking Purposeful Questions. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Stipends are offered to participants who complete feedback surveys before and after a module.

Cohort dates and times are: Wednesdays, April 27, May 11 and 25 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES April Cohort: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice

How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use and/or how they engage with the work? In this module, participants try out strategies for elevating youth voice and choice and apply the ideas as they redesign a STEM activity to incorporate a greater variety of youth input.*This ACRES skill and cohort is designed for participants who have ideally already done either Asking Purposeful Questions of Ready Set STEM.

Cohort dates and times are: Tuesday, April 26, May 10 and 14 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

Transformative Practices

AUDIENCE: For Network STEM/Moonshot Staff, Partners, and Program Providers

APPLICATION: Share the following resources about transformative practices with partners and programs in your state. Use them to create professional development for afterschool programs and educators in your state.

Equity and Inclusion

  • Toolkit: Math Equity Toolkit - This tool kit layers professional development into “Strides” that educators can take along a path to equitable education. Topics include Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction and Creating Conditions to Thrive.
     
  • Toolkit: IMPACT Math and Computational Thinking Through 3D Making - Mathematics, 3D Printing, and Computational Thinking (MPACT) project promises to better prepare rural middle school youth for future work through creative STEM-rich activities. MPACT’s hands-on, minds-on projects will engage students in using low-tech and high-tech materials—everything from quick-drying clay to 3D printers—in the service of learning mathematics and computer science.

These resources are for National Engineers Week (2/20 - 2/26)

  • Toolkit: EngineerGirl - EngineerGirl collects stories, profiles, and resources on topics that showcase how engineers shape the future through innovative solutions to problems. These collections continue to grow and change over time.

Engineering Mindsets

  • Activity Toolkit: Growing Math - Provides ready-to-roll-out lessons and games combining math, agricultural science and Indigenous history and culture that can be easily used in classrooms, via hybrid models or through distance learning. The project will provide resources, curriculum, training and tech support to teachers and students in Grades 3-8 at schools in six states: Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota. For schools in the region, all participation and resources are supported through USDA funds.
     
  • Professional Development Guide: The National Center for Quality Afterschool - Math in Afterschool - The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning developed professional development guides for four content areas of the toolkit: literacy, math, technology, and the arts. 

Incorporating Role Models

Role Model Profile Videos and Photos: The following assets are free profile videos and photos of IF/THEN Ambassadors. These can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, embedded on websites, during conferences, and more. 

For Black History Month and Engineer’s Week

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and electrical engineer, Aisha Lawrey and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

For Black History Month and National Heart Month

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and health scientist, Joyonna Gamble-George and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

Families

  • Website: Math Communities – Students, parents, and educators coming together to play with math!  Math Communities creates a virtual community that provides free access to joyful collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and math educators  for K-12 students, educators, and families. There are lots of ways to communicate with other folks interested in math.
     
  • Toolkit: Engaging Families in Mathematics Education - Families are a child’s first educator and this role does not halt on day one of school. Families lay the foundation for future educational success. Researchers have identified four best practices for engaging families effectively in mathematics education.

STEM Transitions, Handoffs, and Coordination

  • Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

Activities for Programs

AUDIENCE: For Programs and Youth

APPLICATION: Share the following STEM activities with programs and families for additional STEM learning in your state. 

  • Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.
  • Activity Toolkit: STEM Educators Academy Activity Toolkit from ExpandED Schools — This Activity Toolkit offers hybrid learning engineering design challenges, STEM facilitation skill builder videos, and engineering design activities categorized by content areas. 
  • Student Activities: 30 Active Math and Activities for Kids Who Love to Move - When kids think of math, they usually picture worksheets and flashcards. But math doesn’t have to be dull! These active math games get kids up and moving, using their whole bodies to learn facts and skills. Lots of these ideas can be adapted to suit a variety of math concepts, so choose a few to try out with your math students soon.
  • Student Activities: 21 Cool Math Games and Activities for Kids in Elementary School - The following list of cool math games and activities for kids includes math video games, math board games, math puzzles and brain teasers, and other fun math game and activity ideas. These cool math games and activities are perfect for lesson plans, at home learning, summer session, and more. Which one will be your favorite?
  • Website: Math Communities – Students, parents, and educators coming together to play with math!  Math Communities creates a virtual community that provides free access to joyful collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and math educators  for K-12 students, educators, and families. There are lots of ways to communicate with other folks interested in math.

Professional Development

AUDIENCE: NETWORKS AND PROGRAMS

APPLICATION: Share the following training opportunities with partners and program leaders to build their understanding of engineering, equity and inclusion, and STEM. 

  • Webinar Recording and Materials: Celebrate Computer Science with the IF/THEN Collection - Looking for new computer science and engineering activities? The IF/THEN Collection is a free digital library designed to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue STEM careers and features activities and videos of real women STEM professionals. Join the Million Girl Moonshot and NGCP as we hear from a panel of IF/THEN Ambassadors working in the field of computer science and explore resources in the IF/THEN® Collection to promote computer science and engineering in afterschool programs.

Mizzen by Mott Moonshot Connection

AUDIENCE: For Networks and Partners

The Mizzen By Mott app delivers inspiring and engaging activities that spark learning in young people. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Encourage partners to download the Mizzen By Mott app to access STEM  activities at your finger-touch!  You’ll find it in Mizzen here.

Featured Activities & Playlists

  • Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade in Small Groups - This playlist is a great mix of engineering and science activities that are easy and fun for small groups of students.
  • Playlist: Science Notebooks for 3rd - 12th Grade - Keeping a notebook can help your students think and act like scientists and engineers. Sample these easy-to-implement strategies and lessons to bring science notebooking into your program.
  • Module: S.INQ Up Earth and Space for 6-8th Grade - Earth and Space is an inquiry and exploration-based curriculum that uses hands-on activities focused on the relationships between the earth, the solar system, and human impacts on our global environment.

Celebrate Digital Inclusion Week

While you might already be aware of October being the month for celebrating Lights On Afterschool, did you know there is another celebration happening as well? Digital Inclusion Week is October 7 to 11 this year, but it is being honored the entire month of October. Similar to how Lights On...

BY: Leslie Brooks      10/08/24

October resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for October 2024 Techbridge Girls: Become a Certified Techbridge Girls STEM Curriculum Facilitator October 16: Applications Open October 30: Information Session. REGISTER. Using a blend of theory and application, youth instructors become certified in delivering Techbridge...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/07/24

Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society: Our Theory of Change

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. We are excited to showcase the systemic change young people can make in their communities when their afterschool programs support them to layer action onto...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      10/01/24

As Congress returns to Washington, STEM advocates seek adequate funding

As the summer ends, members of Congress, their staff, and advocates for many causes are getting ready for the next steps in the FY 2025 budget and appropriations process. When Congress adjourned for its annual August recess, the House had passed five of the twelve annual spending bills, while the...

BY: Leslie Brooks      09/13/24

Just in time for school: New Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review!

The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is happy to share the fall 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      09/09/24

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

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

October resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for October 2024 Techbridge Girls: Become a Certified Techbridge Girls STEM Curriculum Facilitator October 16: Applications Open October 30: Information Session. REGISTER. Using a blend of theory and application, youth instructors become certified in delivering Techbridge...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/07/24

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

Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society: Our Theory of Change

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. We are excited to showcase the systemic change young people can make in their communities when their afterschool programs support them to layer action onto...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      10/01/24

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

Celebrate Digital Inclusion Week

While you might already be aware of October being the month for celebrating Lights On Afterschool, did you know there is another celebration happening as well? Digital Inclusion Week is October 7 to 11 this year, but it is being honored the entire month of October. Similar to how Lights On...

BY: Leslie Brooks      10/08/24

As Congress returns to Washington, STEM advocates seek adequate funding

As the summer ends, members of Congress, their staff, and advocates for many causes are getting ready for the next steps in the FY 2025 budget and appropriations process. When Congress adjourned for its annual August recess, the House had passed five of the twelve annual spending bills, while the...

BY: Leslie Brooks      09/13/24

Just in time for school: New Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review!

The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is happy to share the fall 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      09/09/24

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

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

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