Abstract
In 2013 The Franklin Institute, a leading science museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received a grant from the National Science Foundation (#1138911) to reach under-resourced urban communities by strengthening the capacity of afterschool centers to offer STEM programming. Integrating Science Into Afterschool: A Three-Dimensional Approach to Engaging Underserved Populations In Science, or “STEM 3D,” was a five-year project that aspired to integrate STEM learning across afterschool, home, and community as a strategy for building positive science identities and creating viable STEM pathways for Philadelphia children who might otherwise be disconnected from the city’s STEM-rich institutions and opportunities. The initiative had three major goals: first, to increase engagement in hands-on, inquiry-based science projects among upper elementary–age youth; second, to cultivate intergenerational support for science learning; and third, to evaluate the effectiveness of this 3D (afterschool, home, and community) approach in engaging children, families, afterschool educators, and community-based organizations in science learning and the project’s promotion of STEM professions.
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Author Contributions
Suzanne Blanc ([email protected]) is president of Creative Research and Evaluation LLC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tara Cox ([email protected]) is manager of professional development at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dale McCreedy ([email protected]) is vice president of audience and community engagement at the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring in Murfreesboro, Tennesee.
Alexis Clark ([email protected]) is assistant director of research and evaluation at the The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Suzanne Blanc
Suzanne Blanc ([email protected]) is president of Creative Research and Evaluation LLC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tara Cox
Tara Cox ([email protected]) is manager of professional development at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dale McCreedy
Dale McCreedy ([email protected]) is vice president of audience and community engagement at the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring in Murfreesboro, Tennesee.
Alexis Lee Clark
Alexis Clark ([email protected]) is assistant director of research and evaluation at the The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.