Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Education
The Center for School and Community Services has done extensive work in the field of afterschool and out-of-school-time education, geared to helping programs provide high-quality programming for all youth, and especially for minority and female students and youth with disabilities.
Afterschool Math Plus Implementation and Replication (2004-07)
The project entails the development, implementation, and dissemination of After-School Math PLUS (ASM+), the overall goal of which is to increase the number of low-income, underserved students who pursue mathematics education. Using the rapidly growing field of informal education, ASM+ incorporates the best practices of informal math programs while adding the following unique elements: collaborations between science museums and local afterschool centers; use of teenage museum docents (known as "explainers") from diverse cultural backgrounds as mentors and role models; student-created math exhibits displayed in community-based public spaces; and the application of practical strategies for family involvement. ASM+ is being developed and implemented in collaboration with the New York Hall of Science and the St. Louis Science Center, with participation and support from after-school centers in their communities. In the final year, EEC In this replication phase, EEC replicated ASM+ in four sites where Toyota has facilities.
Appalachian Regional Commission, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ARC-ORNL) Summer Institutes (ARC, 2005-06)
The Center evaluated the effectiveness of the ARC-ORNL summer institutes, which seek to increase the pool of qualified students pursuing careers requiring proficiency in science, math, and technology (SMT). AED's evaluation is studying how the institutes have influenced student participants, what school characteristics have enhanced success, and whether some groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, or professional status) have benefited more than others, as well as the institutes impact on teacher practice.
AS+River Study (2002-04)
The Center conducted a study of the AS+/River Project, a collaboration between Educational Equity Concepts (EEC), the New York City River Project, and the afterschool program at P.S. 20 in Manhattan. The program combines EEC's Afterschool Science PLUS (AS+) curriculum with the River Project's hands-on field experience. It enables fifth-graders enrolled in AS+ at P.S. 20 to participate in hands-on urban ecology, using the rich resources of the Hudson River. Our study explored how the AS+/River Project fosters social, cognitive, and creative competencies in youth and how they affect academic success.
Creating a Community of Practice on Science, Gender and Afterschool (2004-06)
The SGA Community of Practice is a national, web-based dissemination project to provide an innovative way to actively reach a broad audience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers about the important role of afterschool in engaging and sustaining girls* interest in pursuing education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It will serve as an ongoing, online learning exchange to disseminate the results of new and continuing research, program evaluations, afterschool science curricula, best practices, and relevant STEM and SGA publications. The overall goal of the SGA Community of Practice is to broaden the participation of underserved girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Objectives are to: (1) further research in the STEM, gender, and afterschool fields; (2) aid afterschool program practitioners in accessing high quality STEM content that they can incorporate into their existing programs; and (3) foster connections between researchers, policymakers and practitioners. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and being conducted in collaboration with the former AED's Center for Youth Development and Policy Research and in partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Great Science for Girls: Extension Services for Gender Equity in Science through After-School Programs (2006-11)
Funded by the National Science Foundation, Great Science for Girls (GSG) seeks to broaden and sustain girls' interest and persistence in STEM education, through participation in inquiry-based informal science learning. With 21st century on-line technologies and customized professional development and consulting services, GSG seeks to build the capacity of afterschool centers to deliver innovative STEM programming for girls. Specifically, GSG Extension Services consist of 1) four-day regional professional development institutes, 2) on-site consulting services, 3) a virtual support system of technical assistance, training, resources, and research, and 4) a handbook of best practices. To deliver GSG Extension Services efficiently across three large sections of the country, the project will affiliate with 12 regional intermediary organizations--four in the North East, four in the Midwest, and four in the Far West. Integral to this project is a GSG website, accessed from the Promising Practices in Afterschool website.