Do you conduct science and engineering programs in your afterschool programs? Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development, the New Jersey School-Age Care Coalition (NJSACC) and the Network for New Jersey’s Afterschool Communities have partnered to offer a Design It! and Explore It! workshop series for afterschool program staff.
Design It! and Explore It! are engaging, inquiry based and fun Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs designed specifically for afterschool and out-of-school settings. These comprehensive and high-quality programs for youth, ages 8-12, were developed by the Education Development Center, Inc. in Boston and the National Partnerships for After School Science through the support of the National Science Foundation.
The Design It! Afterschool Program offers six engineering sessions and the Explore It! Afterschool Program has six science sessions.
- Design It! topics include Balls and Tracks, Gliders, Paper Bridges, Rubber Band-Powered Cars, Straw Rockets and Trebuchets. During afterschool programs, youth can work in teams to design their project, test it and make adjustments.
- Explore It! topics include Cake Chemistry, Heating a House and an Oven, Measuring Ourselves, Sinking and Floating, Siphon Systems and Wiring a House. During these projects, youth work in teams to explore familiar phenomena using simple materials to foster science learning.
Each workshop series includes all of the curricula, materials and professional development workshops needed to implement engineering and science projects throughout the year in an afterschool or out-of-school setting. In addition, Rutgers 4-H and NJSACC will provide on-going support and technical assistance to school and community based afterschool organizations who register for the workshop series.
Enrollment is now open for the 2013-2014 school year. For information on enrollment packages, visit the Design It! and Explore It! Afterschool Program website.
The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension.
