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) Engineering Mindset, 3) Role Models, Mentors and Families, and 4) STEM Pathways and Transitions.

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

Booster Packs

AUDIENCE: FOR PROGRAM PROVIDERS AND FIELD STAFF

• Click2Engineering Community of Practice

This community of practice is a component of Click2Engineering, an asynchronous, module-based online professional development program for after-school educators. Participants in this community of practice get to be a part of developing future learning experiences and will have special access to existing Click2Engineering resources, including new curriculum and one-on-one coaching opportunities! Online meetings will include learning, working with materials, reflection, and sharing your ideas with others. You will grow your understanding of engineering and increase your confidence and ability to lead engineering sessions with youth

SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM

 

• DiscoverE Future City

Throughout the fall, participants work in teams of at least three students, an educator, and volunteer mentor to bring their vision of their future city to life. What do they see, hear, smell, and feel? From this starting point, they will design a futuristic city with innovative solutions to some of today’s most pressing sustainability issues. This strategy enables organizational partners, volunteers, and educators to effectively reach millions of students, parents, and young adults with the message that engineers work with smart, inspiring people to invent, design, and create things that matter.

SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM

 

• Techbridge Girls Curriculum & Training

Techbridge Girls (TBG) is an award-winning national nonprofit bringing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to all girls across the U.S. For 20+ years, TBG has reengineered the way STEM education is taught, centering our girls’ brilliance and potential, emphasizing increasing STEM access, belonging, and persistence for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color) youth from systematically marginalized communities. TBG will offer three different curriculum training programs for afterschool staff: 1) Ignite for 3-8th grade youth, 2) Inspire for 4-5th grade girls, and 3) Changemakers for 6-8th grade girls.

SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM

 

• Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum and Training
  In this workshop series, participants will be introduced to evidence-based strategies to support students in developing a positive math identity by exploring mathematics in everyday experiences. The highly engaging, hands-on experiences of After-School Math Plus (ASM+) also build students’ awareness of the importance of math skills for future educational choices and career options. The program engages students in grades 3-8 who are attending out-of-school-time programs.
  SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM

 

• Teen Science Cafe

Teen Science Café programs are a free, fun way for teens to engage in lively conversations with STEM experts that explore the advances in science and technology that affect their lives. In these events, teens socialize over teen-friendly food and drink and have a lively conversation with local scientists and engineers about current cutting-edge developments in their fields, all in a relaxed and informal out-of-school setting. Teen Science Cafés are for teens, by teens. A core group of Teen Leaders, with the committed mentorship of an Adult Leader, plan and run the café programs. They welcome as diverse of a teen crowd as possible—diverse in ethnicity, culture, gender, and motivations for learning about science. Teen Science Cafés are not just for the science geeks; they are for all curious teens. Along the way, teen organizers gain a host of leadership skills. Cafés are typically run about an hour and a half once per month during the school year. Stipends are provided to selected sites to support the implementation of Teen Science Cafes.

SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM

Featured Webinars

Engineering Mindsets 

AUDIENCE: FOR PARTNERS AND PROGRAMS

• Webinar Recording: Deep Dive into each Engineering Mindset Practice with Dr. Christine Cunningham

RECORDING 1, RECORDING 2, RECORDING 3

• Webinar Recording: The M in STEM: Making Math Meaningful with the National Girls Collaborative Project

Role Models And Mentors as an Equity Strategy

AUDIENCE: FOR NETWORK STEM/MOONSHOT STAFF, PARTNERS AND PROGRAM PROVIDERS

• Access STEM Role Models & Mentors: Create a free VolunteerMatch account and post volunteer opportunities to connect STEM role models and mentors to work with your youth today! To find role models and mentors in STEM  REGISTER HERE

This toolkit contains resources Networks or large organizations can use to introduce programs to the VolunteerMatch/STEM Next platform, get them registered, and begin posting volunteer opportunities!

More graphics for your newsletters, social media and more and HERE. 

• Role Models Matters Training for STEM Volunteers

Ready to train volunteers and role models in your Network, school, or afterschool program? COMPLETE THIS REGISTRATION FORM to gain access to the Role Models Matter training developed by Techbridge Girls.

Quality Trainings

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

PEAR Trainings

PEAR staff provides ongoing technical assistance, quarterly data reports, and online data management support for all DoS observers for two years post-certification.

DOS Certification Training

The training process involves a two-day live webinar training, completion of video calibration exercises, a one-hour live calibration session, and successful completion of two practice observations in the field. PEAR staff offer live, webinar DoS training monthly and in-person training for state networks or organizations can be arranged as needed for an additional cost. PEAR staff provides ongoing technical assistance, quarterly data reports, and online data management support for all DoS observers for two years post-certification. Dates and times are: 

• October 19-20; 10-4pm ET. (register by October 5)

REGISTER HERE

Recertification Training for DOS Observers

Please note that observers that have been certified for two or more years need to complete recertification to make sure they are continuing to use the tool reliably. Dates and times are:

• November 8, 2022; 10-1pm ET (register by October 25) 

REGISTER HERE

ACRES Cohorts

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. 

September Cohort: Modeling Math Practices

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, after school 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. 

DATES: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern Time on the following Wednesdays: 9/28/2022, 10/12/2022, 10/26/2022

REGISTER: Use the code AC240MP in this form www.tinyurl.com/registeracres 

October 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. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.

DATES: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern Time on the following Tuesdays: 10/4/2022, 10/18/2022, 11/01/2022

REGISTER: Use the code AC281EP in this form: www.tinyurl.com/registeracres 

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

• New “Access to STEM” framework- Unveiled at the Girls Build Solutions event, access to the revised STEM Framework can be found here. 
• Website: The STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center - Provides evidence-based resources and strategies for practitioners and families to engage children with disabilities in STEM learning.
• Website: Career Girls - Toolkits, including lesson plans featuring diverse women role models for educators, mentors, and families to learn about youth’s interests and to engage youth in empowering STEM-learning activities.

Engineering Mindsets

• Try Engineering Lesson Plan: Take Flight! - This lesson for ages 8-12 explores how flight is possible and how engineers have improved glider designs and materials to improve flight accuracy and distance.
• NASA’s Aerospace-related STEM Resources for K-12 - A collection of aerospace resources including lesson plans and more.
• AeroEducate - AeroEducate is a Teacher’s Toolbox for aviation and STEM activities. Enhance your existing K-12 curriculum with free, standards-compliant, grab-and-go activities.

Families

• Toolkit: Engaging Families in Mathematics Education BOOSTER PACKS- 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.
• Website: PBS Kids Free PD Experience on Connecting with Families - In this professional development experience, participants look at effective strategies for using technology to enhance communication with families.

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: After-School Science PLUS - Download Building with Wonderful Junk and take the challenge!  Build a bridge or a platform that meets a set of requirements and test it. Challenge the kids to add to the activity (For example build a bridge that will hold a student up 6 inches from the floor). 
• Student Design Activity: Take Flight - Using everyday materials, youth engineer a glider that can fly straight for 15 feet.
• Student Design Activity: Keep Your Cool! Design Your Own Cooler Challenge - Youth design a cooler that will keep a bottle of water cool using the engineering design process. They test their prototype and graph their results to determine the effectiveness of the solution.
• Student Design Activity: Get it Write! - Youth engineering a writing device (pen) using everyday materials. They think about both the (water soluble) "ink" and the delivery mechanism. 

Additional Professional Development

AUDIENCE: NETWORKS AND PROGRAMS

Webinar: Addressing STEM Stereotypes with Youth and Young Adults - Join us to learn how to combat pervasive STEM stereotypes with youth and young adults. Back by popular demand! This webinar is the first of a two-webinar series on addressing STEM stereotypes with children and youth. This webinar will dig deeply into research and best practices related to addressing STEM stereotypes with older youth and young adults. Speakers include researchers and educators who will share strategies and resources to counter and break down STEM stereotypes.

October 13, 2022 11:00 - 12:00 PM PST; REGISTER HERE

Mizzen by Mott Moonshot Connection

AUDIENCE: FOR NETWORK STEM/MOONSHOT STAFF, PARTNERS AND PROGRAM PROVIDERS

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: STEAM Activities for Middle School at Home
• Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade
• Balloon Rockets Challenge