Partnerships with STEM-Rich Institutions. Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 61
Author: Afterschool Alliance
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: After School Programs,Partnerships in Education,STEM Education,Awards,Program Effectiveness,Youth Programs,Career Development,Science Process Skills,College School Cooperation,School Community Programs,Museums,Science Teaching Centers,Recreational Facilities,Graduate Students,Mentors,Preservice Teacher Education,Business,Industry,Public Agencies

The Afterschool Alliance is proud to present the first in a series of two issue briefs on afterschool STEM programs, generously supported by the Noyce Foundation. The issue brief topics represent emerging discussions within the afterschool field and are drawn from the two award categories of the 2013 Afterschool STEM Impact Awards: (1) partnerships with STEM-rich institutions, and (2) computing &amp; engineering in afterschool. The briefs feature the award winners and other exemplary afterschool programs that are having a significant impact on participants and demonstrate the potential of the afterschool space to contribute to broader national STEM education goals. Afterschool programs around the nation have enthusiastically embraced science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Some major afterschool providers, like 4-H and Girls Inc., have long made STEM a priority and in recent years, the vast majority of providers have also come to value providing STEM learning opportunities as an important part of their programming. An Afterschool Alliance poll of afterschool programs conducted in 2010-2011 showed that 99 percent of respondents thought that offering some sort of STEM programming was important, even if that wasn&apos;t the focus of their program. Afterschool STEM programs are proving to be highly effective and they deliver important outcomes. Youth in high-quality afterschool STEM programs show (1) improved attitudes toward STEM fields and careers; (2) increased STEM capacities and skills; and (3) a higher likelihood of graduation and pursuing a STEM career. As interest and commitment to STEM learning in afterschool grows, there is an increased need for support to build the capacity of afterschool programs to offer innovative and robust STEM programming. Afterschool programs have a long and rich history of leveraging community resources to best meet the needs of the youth they serve. They recognize that STEM-rich institutions--science centers and museums, universities and colleges, corporations and businesses, and government agencies--have a lot to offer. All of these institutions in turn have keen interests, and sometimes a major stake, in K-12 STEM education. Partnerships leverage the STEM expertise and resources of the institution--and in combination with the youth development expertise of afterschool professionals, they open up the possibility for incredibly impactful STEM learning opportunities for youth. This issue brief illustrates the power of strong, successful partnerships between afterschool programs and STEM-rich institutions. Additionally, the partnerships described offer promising and innovative models that can have a significant impact on both students and their instructors.