WYAA17

Afterschool programs often have frequent staff turnover, and program administrators must find ways to train new staff members. It is difficult to provide off-site training for people. Click 2Science has on-line resources for staff training to keep the quality of STEM instruction high. This session will introduce administrators and lead instructors to the Click2Science resources and how to organize a series of quick training sessions based on the Dimensions of Success goals for good STEM programming.

This hands-on workshop provides an overview of the STEAM initiative and the importance of incorporating the arts to strengthen STEM learning. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in several different STEAM activities, and will leave the workshop with 3 tangible project ideas to incorporate into their after-school programming!

SAE International's K-8 STEM education solution, AWIM, is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8. Benchmarked to the national standards, the AWIM program incorporates integrated STEM learning experiences through hands-on activities that reinforce classroom STEM learning:

• Primary School Challenges (grades K-3) 
• Elementary School Challenges (grades 4-6) 
• Middle School Challenges (grades 6-8) 

Session Highlights & Benefits: (AWIM) A World In Motion is interdisciplinary in nature, which helps students learn to make meaningful connections among disciplines; all activities correlate with the Next Generation Science standards and the Science and Engineering Practices; it builds bridges between corporations and classrooms by giving teachers, volunteers, and students the opportunity to work together and learn from each other.

Take advantage of the resources available to you through the University of Wyoming and get ready to try something new. In this workshop, educators will learn about program opportunities for integrating engineering in the classroom, and will engage in hands-on demonstrations to inspire creative thinking. Educators will learn about new instructional approaches and will be encouraged to experiment with tools that can be used for data collection and analysis to connect cross-curricular content. Educators will come away with new ideas and resources for implementing engineering in the classroom and effectively addressing standards related to Science, Common Core, ISTE and CTE.

So you’re thinking of doing more STEM in your afterschool programming and now you have “STEM kits” piled high in your office collecting dust. What do you do with all that stuff?!

Sometimes starting a STEM program can seem daunting, but it’s no more challenging than be willing to dive in and try things out. In this breakout session we’ll take a look at a couple of popular STEM kits to demystify the content and figure out how to turn your afterschool program into a STEM-tastic experience. We’ll also take a look at a variety of STEM kits to do some side by side comparison to find out what would best meet your program needs. Kits to be discussed include: Snap Circuits, Chemistry, Electricity and Magnetism, and Forces & Motion kits.

In addition to benefits for your staff and volunteers, Click2Science provides a library of STEM activities to bring directly to your students. These comprehensive hands-on activities include step-by-step instructions, learning objectives, and career connections through the STEM fields. In this session we will explore the Click2Science website to locate these activities, discover the skills they support, and try out a few for ourselves!