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ERIC Number: EJ1068348
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
New Faces, New Places: A 4-H Science Learning Program in Urban Out-of-School Settings
Barker, Walter A.; Killian, Eric; Evans, William P.
Afterschool Matters, n12 p45-50 Fall 2010
Young people in the U.S. are falling behind their peers in the rest of the developed world in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Program for International Student Assessment study, conducted every three years, ranked the U.S. 24th in math and science out of 29 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Baldi et al., 2007). Out-of-school time programs can support young people in learning science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts and skills. A decade of research and evaluations (National Institute on Out-of-School Time, 2009) provides strong evidence that afterschool programs make a difference in the lives of youth who attend. 4-H--one of the oldest and largest out-of-school youth development programs in the country--can make a unique contribution. Its roots in the national land-grant university system give 4-H substantial experience in developing hands-on STEM programming that engages young people. Moving beyond its rural and agricultural roots, 4-H is taking this expertise into urban settings. This article describes a twelve-week introductory science program piloted by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development. The program, called "New Faces, New Places," took place in three Nevada cities (Las Vegas, Henderson, and Logandale). It was delivered after school at 15 sites, each with 40 youth ages 8-15. Sites included community clubs, school sites, community centers, faith-based organizations, and day and overnight camps. Activities in New Faces, New Places were designed to engage youth in enjoyable, concrete projects that would pique future interest in 4-H and STEM learning. This article illustrates how the program employed 4-H's experiential learning model to successfully engage urban youth in science learning.
National Institute on Out-of-School Time. Wellesley Centers for Women, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. Tel: 781-283-2547; Fax: 781-283-3657; e-mail: niost@wellesley.edu; Web site: http://www.niost.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Nevada
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Program for International Student Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A