1. Welcome &Introduction (5 min): Introduce the session, its objectives, and the compelling purpose of high-impact STEM engagement.
2. Strategic Planning Framework (15 min): Introduce the framework for event planning (Design, Prepare, Execute, Evaluate). Focus on the "Design" phase, including goal-setting and mandatory alignment to learning standards and ISTE goals.
3. Activity Design and STEM Stations (20 min)- Define the concept of "Low-Barrier, High-Impact" activity design. Showcase 4 practical, adaptable STEM challenge examples that reinforce core concepts while building 21st-century skills (critical thinking, creativity).
4. Equity and Parental Engagement (10 min)- Explore actionable, equity-focused methods for increasing and sustaining parental engagement. Discuss strategies for outreach (multi-lingual communication), removing common barriers (food, childcare), and fostering the "Cultivate Belonging" principle.
5. Resources and Next Steps (10 min)- Provide a curated list of essential resources (materials, templates, funding ideas). Review the summary alignment to ISTE Standards and Transformational Learning Principles. Concluding call-to-action, question and answer period.
After this session, participants will be able to use a comprehensive strategic planning framework to transform traditional family nights into authentic, high-impact STEM learning events.
After this session, participants will be able to identify and adapt existing curriculum into low-barrier, hands-on STEM challenge stations that foster successful collaborative problem-solving between students and family members, ensuring activities are aligned with learning standards and promote 21st-century skills like critical thinking and creativity.
1. “Center for Equitable Family STEM Learning.” TERC, www.terc.edu/projects/center-for-equitable-family-stem-learning/.
2. Caspe, Matthew, et al., editors. Promising Practices for Engaging Families in STEM Learning. Information Age Publishing, 2018.
3. "STEM Next Opportunity Fund" https://stemnext.org/family-engagement-project/
4. "National PTA (STEM + Families Program)" https://www.pta.org/home/programs/stem
5. Ambroso, Eric, Lenay Dunn, and Pam Fox. "Research in Brief: Engaging and Empowering Diverse and Underserved Families in Schools." Regional Educational Laboratory West at WestEd, Sept. 2021, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/regions/west/pdf/Family_Engagement_and_Empowerment_Brief_Final_Clean_ADA_Final.pdf.
6. Riggs, Rosemary A., et al. "Engaging the Community through Science Nights: An Elementary School Case Study." J STEM Outreach, vol. 2, no. 1, Apr. 2019, doi:10.15695/jstem/v2i1.06. PMC, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7036285/.
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