The Importance of Quality in Out-of-School Science Programming

• In Event: 72.066 - Poster Session 16
  In Poster Session: 72.066-9 - Surrounded by Science: Informal Learning in Museums, Media, and After-School and Everyday Contexts

Abstract

NASA’s Summer of Innovation Project (SoI) provides middle school students, including those who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM, with opportunities to engage in NASA-developed activities during the summer. A recent evaluation of SoI included both implementation and outcomes components, including an investigation of the quality of programming in SoI camps and the relationship between quality and student outcomes. Quality was measured along the 12 dimensions of STEM out-of-school programming identified by the Dimensions of Success. This paper describes the approach used to collect data on quality and the findings that suggest that quality of activities may be a driver of student interest.

Authors

• Tamara Wilder Linkow, Abt Associates Inc.

• Alina Martinez, Abt Associates Inc.