Experiential Citizen Science Training for the Next Generation

Project Description

The NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of Emory University endeavors to use an over-arching theme of citizen science principles to:

1. develop an innovative curriculum based on citizen science and experiential learning to evaluate the efficacy of informal science education in after-school settings;
2. promote biomedical scientific careers in under-represented groups targeting females for Girls for Science summer research experiences;
3. train teachers in Title I schools to implement this citizen science based curriculum; and
4. disseminate the citizen science principles through outreach.

This novel, experiential science and engineering program, termed Experiential Citizen Science Training for the Next Generation (ExCiTNG), encompasses community-identified topics reflecting NIH research priorities. The curriculum is mapped to Next Generation Science Standards.

A comprehensive evaluation plan accompanies each program component, composed of short- and/or longer-term outcome measures. We will use our existing outreach program (Students for Science) along with scientific community partnerships (Atlanta Science Festival) to implement key aspects of the program throughout the state of Georgia. These efforts will be overseen by a central Steering Committee composed of leadership of the Community Education Research Program of the Emory/Morehouse/Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta Clinical Translational Science Institute (NIH CTSA), the Principal Investigators, representatives of each program component, and an independent K–12 STEM evaluator from the Georgia Department of Education.

The Community Advisory Board, including educators, parents, and community members, will help guide the program’s implementation and monitor progress. A committee of NIH-funded investigators, representing multiple NIH institutes along with experienced science writers, will lead the effort for dissemination and assure that on-going and new NIH research priorities are integrated into the program’s curriculum over time.

Abstract

The NIH R25 SEPA of Emory University is intended to: 1) support creative and innovative science education for K–12 students in research areas relevant to NIH’s mission; 2) promote biomedical scientific careers among K-12 students; and 3) increase participation of individuals and groups under-represented in the biomedical sciences, including those from racial/ethnic minorities and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or underserved populations, including rural communities. To meet these goals, we propose a novel program termed Experiential Citizen Science Training for the Next Generation (ExCiTNG), integrating culturally-relevant activities targeting low-income and under-represented student populations throughout the state of Georgia.

This proposed program will combine: A) informal science education (after school STEM clubs and summer mentored science experiences) targeting Title I middle schools; B) statewide outreach programs, emphasizing urban underserved and rural communities; and C) teacher training to disseminate experiential, citizen science-based STEM education. The specific aims of this program are outlined below.

Aim 1. To implement a novel Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) informal curriculum built on citizen science concepts in order to support creative and innovative science education for K–12 students in research areas relevant to NIH’s mission, through Title I Georgia middle school-based after-school STEM clubs.

Aim 1a. To evaluate the ExCiTNG initiative using metrics and tools intended to measure the effectiveness of out-of-school, citizen-science-based programs.

• Program evaluation metrics: Feasibility, acceptability, and ability to replicate the program
• Metrics: Knowledge, engagement, attitudes, behavior, skills, and qualitative data from participants

Aim 2. To promote biomedical scientific careers among K–12 students targeting girls, racial/ethnic minorities, rural settings and other under-represented groups in middle school, through “Girls for Science” summer mentored-research programs.

Aim 2a. To evaluate the impact of this program on proclivity to pursue science careers longitudinally over the project period.

Aim 3. To train K–12 teachers in citizen science principles and application, using the ExCiTNG curriculum, recruiting teachers from Title I schools and schools serving racial/ethnic minorities and students from underserved populations.

Aim 3A. To evaluate the training effectiveness using short-term metrics.

• Metrics: Teacher feedback and knowledge gained about teaching techniques after workshops
• Program evaluation metrics: Feasibility, acceptability, and ability to replicate the program
  Metrics: Attitudes, behavior, and qualitative data from participants

Aim 4. To disseminate the Citizen Science approach to science education through outreach efforts (Students For Science) and partnerships (Atlanta Science Festival) throughout the state of Georgia.

Aim 4A. To evaluate the effectiveness of outreach using short-term metrics.

• Metrics: School participation in citizen science projects through the SEPA website, requests for S4S programs, and use of kits distributed via Atlanta Science Fair venue.