Professional Development
ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 2/13/2023, 2/27/2023 & 3/13/2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST
Questions begin a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice. This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. REGISTER HERE: Use the code AC227PQ
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Click2Engineering Winter Community of Practice February 1st, 15th, March 1st and 15th 4:00-5:30 PM ET
The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices. The CoP sessions are as follows: 1) Using a Systematic Engineering Design Process; 2) Work in Teams; 3) Identify as Engineers; 4) Equity. REGISTER HERE.
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Click2Engineering Virtual Workshop: Connecting Computational Thinking and the Engineering Mindset February 21st 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET
Out-of-school programs have the capacity to encourage youth to engage in computational thinking and practices that support an engineering mindset. This virtual workshop explores how the practices that support computational thinking intersect and support the practices for developing and engineering mindset, and how both provide problem-solving strategies that help prepare youth for their future. REGISTER HERE
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Girls in STEM: A (Data-based) Tale of Confidence & Satisfaction with National Girls Collaborative Project February 21st 9:00-10:30 am PST / 12:00-1:30 pm EST.
What attracts female-identifying students to STEM fields, particularly those that use digital technologies, and what distances them from these fields? Join NGCP in collaboration with Gender Scan on 2/21/23 as we explore what data tells us about the importance of educators, parents, and peers in order to engage, retain, and fulfill women and girls in technology fields, and STEM in general. REGISTER HERE.
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Engaging Girls in Hands on Engineering with Scientific Adventures for Girls February 21st 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST
Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.
In this first session, participants will learn strategies to:
- Build a high quality afterschool STEM program specifically for girls in K-6th grades
- Plan for inquiry and components of the engineering design process — hands-on planning, creating, testing, redesigning, and reflection
- Design a youth centered environment with a strong SEL – STEM component
Participants will leave the series with four engineering design projects and a materials list that they can implement with youth immediately. Participants will also be given access to additional engineering and design projects through SAfG. REGISTER FOR THE FIRST SESSION HERE.
February 28th 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST
Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.
In this second session, participants will walk through two specific, no cost, hands on Product Design Lessons. In the first lesson, “Light Up Your Art”, students will learn about circuits and use that knowledge to design a piece of light up art or greeting card. In the second lesson, “Your Cookies Have Shipped”, students will gain understanding of product packaging & design and work to create packaging for cookies that will pass three stress tests. They will also learn about constraints during the design process having limited “money” for materials and limited materials supply – incorporating math concepts into the lesson. Participants will leave this session with two specific Product Design Lessons with a materials list that can be implemented immediately with youth. First session recording here. ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION GIVEN AFTER ATTENDING FIRST SESSION.
March 7 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST
Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.
In this third session, participants will walk through two specific, no cost, Product Design Lessons. In the first lesson, the “Toy Design Challenge,” students will have to design and prototype a toy that can effectively pass through a “maze” and ring a bell. This lesson will focus on redesign and testing. For the second lesson, “Bionic Hand”, students will be supported by the teacher to understand the basic design of a bionic finger and use that experience to create their own bionic hand that can function during testing at the end of the lesson. Participants will leave this session with two more specific Product Design Lessons with a materials list that can be implemented immediately with youth. First session recording here, second session recording here. ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION GIVEN AFTER ATTENDING FIRST SESSION.
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Exploring Engineering as a Career with Jobs for the Future March 13th 11:00-12:15 pm PST / 2:00-3:15 pm EST
Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) as they unpack Possible Futures, a no cost career exploration curriculum for learners in grades 6 through 10, consisting of six units that help learners: develop essential employability skills, explore STEM occupations, and better understand themselves and the world of work. In this webinar, participants will dive into the Engineering unit — a series of twelve lessons that help youth explore the role of engineering professionals as they tackle engineering challenges based on relevant, real-world problems. Participants will leave with everything you need to implement the lessons with youth: digital copy of the 12 lessons, facilitator guide, lesson materials, and youth worksheets. REGISTER HERE.
ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Engineering Practices Thursdays: 3/16/2023, 3/30/2023, and 4/13/2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST
Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem-solving? In this module, you’ll gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. As a participant, you’ll examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. REGISTER HERE.
