Afterschool Research: STEM

Students learn more with afterschool STEM (April 2018)

A one-pager that makes the case for afterschool STEM using the latest research.

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Funding Afterschool STEM

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Publications & Research

Find Afterschool Alliance publications on STEM, as well as research & resources from the field.

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Afterschool & STEM Learning

Changing perspectives. Shaping lives.

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Afterschool and the Environment: A Natural Fit (January 2009)

Children have a wonderful curiosity about nature and the environment, which, if encouraged through afterschool activities can have a profound impact on their health and well-being. Children also take readily to concepts of conservation which will make them excellent stewards of the future of our environment. This issue brief explores the relationship between children's health, academic enrichment and community awareness through developing a relationship with the wonders of their natural environment.

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Afterschool programs: At the STEM of learning (January 2008)

In order to better compete with their international peers in the 21st century, American students will need to be better prepared to work in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. This brief explains the ways in which afterschool can engage kids in the STEM fields.

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Afterschool STEM: Re-engaging students in an equitable recovery

The hands-on learning approach of quality afterschool STEM programs offers a natural platform for reengaging students as they return to classrooms. Hands-on, project-based STEM learning in afterschool supports students in connecting what they learn in the classroom to future careers while developing a new generation of problem solvers in STEM fields.

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Afterschool: A vital partner in STEM education (May 2011)

This paper provides compelling reasons to include afterschool programs as integral partners in STEM education and highlights several existing models for providing infrastructure and building capacity to enable afterschool programs to facilitate high-quality STEM learning. By combining evaluation reports from afterschool programs with research findings that indicate an early interest in STEM careers is related to a pursuit of such careers, the paper presents a picture of how afterschool programs are contributing meaningfully to our nation's STEM education system.

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Afterschool: Middle school and STEM (September 2010)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the second of four issue briefs in this series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief highlights STEM learning as a critical component of 21st century education, and discusses how afterschool provides an ideal platform for building STEM learning in middle school.

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Community STEM Collaborations that Support Children and Families

Youth are natural scientists at birth, discovering and exploring their world and trying to make sense of it. A child’s education is not limited to just the time they spend in the classroom. Children learn at home with their families, in public libraries, or through out-of-school-time experiences provided at community centers and in afterschool and summer learning programs, and even on vacations. In this paper, we endeavor to make the case that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is an ideal subject area that can engage children with fun, active learning activities. It is also an important societal area around which parents, librarians, and OST providers can collaborate and complement the work of schools.

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