In this month’s Reaching the Stakeholders section of the Leaders Letter, there is mention of a feature on NPR which raised the point about engagement of students in science in the classroom.  A follow up point about engaging students in science opportunities afterschool and at home was also posited – after all science does not only happen in school.  Science is all around us and part of our everyday life.  One of the featured resources mentioned was the training kit for families and community participants that was developed by the National Center for Quality Afterschool.
Their home page states “[t]he key goal of Engaging Families and Communities is to increase student achievement, aptitude, and interest in science by involving families in the learning process and making the most of community resources.”  Opportunities for students to engage in science through afterschool programs and community opportunities hopefully contribute to developing the love of science as well as the understanding of science in students. Local astronomy clubs, 4H programs, robotics clubs, and others provide these outreach opportunities for students to pursue an interest in a science topic.  There is even a Coalition for Science Afterschool that provides a searchable database which is designed to increase access to high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education beyond the classroom for youth and families across the nation.
While not every student will be able to participate in or attend the White House Science Fair, they can participate in local science fairs or junior academy of science presentations.  Organized as part of the American Junior Academy of Sciences, states offer opportunities for students to engage in science research.  Many local county or regional groups also have science fairs that go beyond the school day and walls.  As a Pennsylvanian, there are many different science fairs that are held throughout our state, one such being the Delaware Valley Science Fair which is also associated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
As a former middle school teacher, I remember spending many many (did I say many) hours afterschool working with our Science Olympiad Team preparing for events such as Road Rally, Get Your Bearing, Bridge Building, and other content focused and design focused events.  In full disclosure the names mentioned above may give away the years of participation as some of the names of these events have changed overtime. Science Olympiad is still going strong, celebrates its thirtieth year this year and offers opportunities for middle and high school competitions. States often have regional competitions and/or a statewide competition that leads to the nationals in the spring of each academic year.
While these are just two organized events that are offered for students to participate in science experiences, there are many other programs, events, and groups throughout the country that offer competitive opportunities or simply exploratory opportunities.  Teachers are often one of the best resources for potential suggestions to parents, community groups, and even individual students about where and how they can become engaged in science opportunities.  So, what recommendation would you add to the list for afterschool engagement opportunities?