Afterschool STEM Programs Review

The article Scientist overnight: Preservice teachers and science majors host STEM family nights was inspiring and praise worthy. As a new science teacher, the article created a level of exc... See More

The article Scientist overnight: Preservice teachers and science majors host STEM family nights was inspiring and praise worthy. As a new science teacher, the article created a level of excitement. To create a program that supports outside learning of science is crucial for the world we live in. Young people, who are not excited about science, are not learning science the right way. It is a struggle in the classroom to cover all material thoroughly. Most teachers hit the crucial points. There are many experiments that are never done. They are put away in a box and never touched. The afterschool programs create the time to pull out the box and share the experiments with students and family. It is a time to review and elaborate on topics that were already discussed in the classroom. It is also a great way to get parents involved. However, afterschool programs are challenging to implement. Finding the right teachers and finding the time would be the most challenging goal. The student ratio would be low which would be a great factor, but there would be students who could not attend due to lack of transportation. To have a program to motivate students and inspire teachers to teach and promote STEM programs is a program that would profit all schools. There are some disadvantages, but the benefits are far greater for everyone.