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Contact: Conor Barnes
Project Exploration
732-291-1613
cbarnes@projectexploration.org

Project Exploration Co-Hosts National Conference

2nd Annual Conference brings together 400+ stakeholders in after-school science education and youth development

Universal City, CA— Time spent learning out of school is more important that ever. A growing national movement is asking: how can after-school, weekend, and summer program capitalize on students’ natural curiosity and spur their interest in science and technology? How can these programs increase access and equity in science for all students? The National Conference for Science and Technology in Out-of-School Time, co-hosted by Project Exploration, will address these and other issues facing the field at a three-day conference to be held September 22-24, 2010 in Universal City, California.

By serving as a lead organizer for the event, Project Exploration continues its work to change the face of science locally and nationally. “What happens when we put students at the center of how we design, promote and evaluate science and technology programs for youth in out-of-school settings?” says Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Project Exploration cofounder and executive director. “This question is at the heart of innovations we’re seeing in effective programs recruit and retain students to science and technology and is a major theme in this year’s conference agenda.”

The Coalition for Science After School is also co-hosting, and the conference is being sponsored by Time Warner Cable as part of its Connect A Million Minds initiative. Workshop sessions will focus on funding trends, research-based best practices, professional development for program providers, program and curriculum development, evaluation, and systemic approaches for aligning in- and out-of-school time science education.

Two new elements highlight this year’s conference:

• A pre-conference symposium on September 22 with the theme of “Putting Youth at the Center of Systems and Pathways.” The symposium, funded by the Noyce Foundation, will explore models and research-based frameworks for engaging students, developing alliances, setting goals and tracking impacts at a systemic level. Break-out sessions will focus on getting older youth involved in science and after school STEM efforts in California.
• A Program Showcase, in which attendees can bring attention to their work by displaying program literature, research papers, photos and other materials that illustrate how their out-of-school time programs work and can be replicated by others.

The keynote speaker for the conference is Dr. Pedro Antonio Noguera of New York University, an urban sociologist whose research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in urban environments. Other featured presenters hail from the Exploratorium, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 4-H, St. Louis Science Center.

This conference is aimed at a wide variety of stakeholders involved with science education in out-of-school time: youth and out-of-school program directors; leaders of informal science institutions and community-based organizations; representatives from K-12, community colleges and higher education; foundations and corporate funders; and researchers and policy-makers tracking trends in innovation, science and workforce development.
 
For More Information
Visit www.scienceafterschoolconference.org. Registration is required for conference attendance and is available on the conference website. All information for attendees—including the full schedule, accommodation and travel information, sponsorship opportunities, and full list of participants is also available on the website.

About the Coalition for Science After School
The Coalition for Science After School strives to make science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) integral components of after-school programming, bringing together the experience and commitment of hundreds of individuals and organizations to improve the quality and quantity of STEM learning opportunities. www.afterschoolscience.org

About Connect a Million Minds
Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. www.connectamillionminds.com

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