Afterschool Webinar:

About this webinar:

We’re celebrating National Engineers Week by highlighting how afterschool programs engage kids in robust engineering learning! We’ve paired the topic of engineering with computing, as both disciplines are subject to workforce concerns. Over the next four years, the number of jobs requiring proficiency in STEM is projected to grow twice as fast as non-STEM fields. Computing and engineering represent a majority of these new STEM jobs, and it is important that students are prepared to take advantage of future opportunities. While afterschool programs represent a promising avenue to offer engineering and computing education, these topics are still relatively new to the afterschool field and can be challenging to implement.

We invite you to join the discussion as we explore the state of computing and engineering within K-12 education, and the role of afterschool as an important ally. We’ll also hear from afterschool leaders that are working to provide quality engineering and/or computing programs to youth in cities from Santa Fe to Baltimore.

Guest Speakers:

• Andrew Coy; Executive Director, Digital Harbor Foundation
• Jen Joyce; Director of Professional Development, Techbridge
• Irene Lee; Principal Investigator, Project GUTS, Santa Fe Institute
• Melissa Ballard; STEM Research Associate, Afterschool Alliance

Links & Resources:

• Webinar Presentation
• Issue Brief: Computing and Engineering in Afterschool
• In the Afterschool STEM Storybook:
  • Techbridge
  • Digital Harbor
  • Project GUTS
• Conference presentation on computing in afterschool from the National AfterSchool Association’s 2014 convention