Transitioning an In-Person Elementary STEM After-School Program to Distance Learning During COVID-19

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Learn how WonderKids translated their after-school activities to an online environment and the lessons learned that will inform future in-person and virtual programming.

Keywords:

• Elementary
• Informal Education
• Equity
• NGSS
• Three-Dimensional Learning

Acknowledgment

Thank you to USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center for supporting WonderKids, USC Joint Educational Project for housing WonderKids, and USC Good Neighbors Campaign for additional funding of WonderKids. We’d like to give a special thank you to our speakers for Wonderkids during the 2020-2021 year including: Our Fall 2020 speakers were: Stacey Finley, Dijanna Figueroa, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Martha McMahon, DJ Fernandez, and Darin Gray and the Spring 2021 Speakers were: Staci Wong, Jocelyn Argueta, Jessica So, Jamie Decker, Tal Rosen, and Sian Proctor. Thank you to Dr. Susan Harris and Kathrin Altmann for editing our manuscript.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brooke McMahon

Dieuwertje Kast ([email protected]) is the Director of STEM Education Programs, at the University of Southern California Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences – Joint Educational Project, Los Angeles, California.

Jasmin Sanchez

Brooke McMahon is a STEM instructor, at the University of Southern California Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences – Joint Educational Project, Los Angeles, California.

Emma Case

Jasmin Sanchez is a STEM instructor, at the University of Southern California Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences – Joint Educational Project, Los Angeles, California.

Lindsay Huerta

Emma Case is a STEM instructor, at the University of Southern California Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences – Joint Educational Project, Los Angeles, California.

W. Martin Kast

Lindsay Huerta is a STEM instructor, at the University of Southern California Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences – Joint Educational Project, Los Angeles, California.

Dieuwertje J. Kast

W. Martin Kast is the Director of K–12 URM Cancer Education Program at University of Southern California - Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California