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ERIC Number: ED508726
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Apr
Pages: 57
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
In-Depth Science Research Experiences for Teens: The AMNH-ITEST High School Science Research Program. Summative Evaluation Report
Smith, Anita
Inverness Research
In January 2005, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) was awarded a three-year ITEST grant (Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers) through the National Science Foundation (award #04-23417). This "AMNH-ITEST High School Science Research Program" aimed to target 120 urban high school youth, grades 10-12, from the five boroughs of New York City. Building on the previous similar program models, this ITEST program was designed to provide two years of immersion in technology-based scientific research--in this case, in genetics and astrophysics. Three cohorts of 40-50 students each (half in genetics, half in astrophysics) study the foundations of their chosen topic and learn to use advanced technology in conducting their own authentic research. Inverness Research has been the external evaluator for the project. Through our evaluation, we found the AMNH-ITEST program to have successfully met its goals of helping students gain experience with technology, developing specific scientific research skills, learning science concepts and increasing their awareness and commitment to STEM career paths. We found that the program proved to be not only enriching in those regards, but personally transformative for some students. In addition, we detected ways in which the AMNH-ITEST program benefited program-providers, i.e., program staff, mentors, and the museum in general. The following report includes more in-depth information about the AMNH-ITEST program, nature of the youth experience, benefits of the program for youth, mentors and the museum, and program challenges and opportunities, as well as an appendix with stories of four case study students. (Contains 21 footnotes.) [This report was written with the assistance of Becky Carroll, Pam Castori, Heather Mitchell, and Mark St. John.]
Inverness Research. P.O. Box 313, Inverness, CA 94937. Tel: 415-669-7156; Fax: 415-669-7186; e-mail: webdev@inverness-research.org; Web site: http://www.inverness-research.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Inverness Research
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A