ISEOST Information > Audience
The ISEOST Symposium was designed for staff from regional ISE and OST networks and programs who work or have the potential to work with urban 5th through 8th grade students on an on-going basis. These audiences and this approach were chosen because:
A. Opportunities for ISE programs to serve their traditional student audiences (involving class trips to ISE organizations, outreach programs to schools, etc.) are diminishing, in part due to the initiation and institution of “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB). NCLB’s specific focus on improved grades and standardized test scores has driven state departments and school systems to adopt formal math, reading, and science curricula which limit the opportunities for visits to or classroom implementation of ISE curricula. These constraints have also impacted teacher audiences, as the opportunities for training classroom teachers in ISE practice and pedagogy have similarly decreased.
B. To pursue new OST venues and opportunities, ISE staff need more than access to programs and audiences. The OST field is enriched with youth development principles and appreciation, social work concerns and applications, parental involvement activities, and similarly beneficial approaches to working with children during non-school hours. Additionally, OST staff have first-hand experience with challenges such as classroom management, recruitment and retention, community participation, etc. OST programs and practitioners are also aware of – and design programs to achieve - social as well as academic outcomes for their participants. In summary, “Across the country, four priority OST student outcomes emerge. These are: 1) Increased academic achievement, 2) Decreased involvement in risky behaviors, 3) Improved access to employment, and 4) Enhanced life skills.” (Peter, Nancy. Outcomes and Research in Out-of-School Time Program Design. 2002).
C. OST programs are increasingly expected to infuse academic enrichment, hands-on curricula, and, with the current addition of science to NCLB priorities, meaningful scientific exploration into their programs. These programs are actively seeking mechanisms (curricula, field trip opportunities, etc.) for procuring related resources – and often have the finances to actualize this infusion. The field of ISE is rich in hands-on curricula, developmentally-appropriate programming, interactive learning techniques, etc. One example is the Philadelphia Zoo’s “Earth Savers Program,” which helps students explore things they can do to impact environmental conservation. The program provides teacher training through a week-long summer teacher institute as well as student enrichment activities that can be implemented before or after the institute. Another ISE program which could be readily adapted to OST is Project Wild. This program includes more than 100 interactive activities which help students develop the awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment needed for informed decisions and responsible behavior toward the environment.
D. To supplement and ensure the sustainability of the infusion described above, OST staff need training in everything - from how to find and effectively utilize ISE curricula to how to implement and modify this curricula for a variety of learning styles and learning environments.
E. ISE/OST collaborations, which focus on professional development, are increasing in number and complexity. For example, the Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (IMACS) in Plantation, Florida employs a curriculum development group to create educational activities tailored to the out-of-school time hours. The Adventure Science Center of Nashville and the Empowering Youth Initiative of Garfield Park’s Conservatory Alliance in Chicago use technology to facilitate access to professional development opportunities. “Design It!” “fosters collaborative relationships between science centers and community-based after school child care programs, develops extended design technology projects appropriate for children ages 7-12, and supports the implementation of these extended design projects in after school programs and other informal educational settings.” (National Institute on Out-of-School Time. Designing Partnerships Between ScienceCenters and After-School Programs: Lessons from Design It! Engineering in After School Programs. 2002) However, ISE/OST collaboration models often: 1) present ISE experiences and expertise as benevolent, one-sided gifts to the OST community; 2) lack attention to how ISE programs and curricula will be adapted to the unique climate of OST programs; 3) narrowly define professional development as workshops, conferences, and technical assistance; 4) propose traditional and potentially ineffective plans for dissemination (such as manuals and websites); and 5) measure participant satisfaction but provide few mechanisms for evaluating sustainable impact on staff, programs, and students.
