ISEOST Information > Overview
The Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC), located in the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy, received a one-year Planning Grant from the National Science Foundation.
The NSF project, entitled ISEOST Symposium, harnessed the resources of Informal Science Education (ISE) and Out-of-School Time programming (OST) to create an effective and collaborative professional development model. A one-day Symposium, held at the University of Pennsylvania on June 1, 2006, introduced and solicited support for the model. A combination of local, regional, and national speakers and panelists reviewed the fields of ISE and OST, explored ways in which they can assist and support one another in professional development efforts, and determined next steps for follow-through and implementation. The Symposium hosted 84 administrative staff from regional ISE and OST networks and programs, which work or have the potential to work with urban middle school students (5th through 8th grade) on an on-going basis. The event was invitation-only, although future activities will serve a larger audience.
The OSTRC enlisted three symposium partners in this initiative. The Philadelphia Zoo represents informal science education, EducationWorks is an out-of-school time program provider, and Branch Associates coordinated the evaluation activities. In addition, the ISEOST Symposium assembled an Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from the School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Safe and Sound, the Franklin Institute, Public/Private Ventures, the Penn Science Teacher Institute, the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, The After School Corporation, the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, and several other local and regional organizations.
For more information about the Symposium held in June, or post-symposium ISEOST activities, please contact Nancy Peter, Principal Investigator and Director of the OSTRC, at (215) 898-0640 or npeter@sp2.upenn.edu.
