6-12 Directed Learning Shaping STEM Learning Experiences Through Community Partnerships and Staff Education [#1024 ] The Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library has offered science programs to the Broomfield community since 2004. The primary focus has been to build foundaons in STEM concepts for tweens and teens (ages 9-14). In 2014, the library launched the Discovery Lab—a STEM/Makerspace which both increased and challenged our abilies to present a wider variety of science programming through staff educaon, renovated space, and new community partnerships. In this session, library staff will share our experiences, successes, and challenges in developing new programming formats for STEM learning and provide an overview of the realies of current STEM programming and the future needs we hope to meet by creang new models and stronger collaboraons with community members and organizaons. Library Overview Single topic with 1-4 acvity centers 1-50 Maker-In-Residence Format Acvies designed by an arst/maker Learning through observaon & pracce Contribuon to a community project ALL AGES Individual & large group work Single topic Community project Contacng & scheduling arsts/makers Staffing programs Local arsts & makers Volunteers as greeters Outcomes: Exposure to an arst at work, contribuon to a community project, family learning opportunies and engagement Challenges: Finding, scheduling, booking arsts/maker, unseen audience demographics, addional staffing Successes: High aendance, return rate, exposure of arst/maker and other maker programs, enthusiasm for future programs Future needs: Unlimited pool of arsts/makers, financial support for funding presenters/ materials, innovave programming (outdoor, large scale) Example Programs: Woodworking, Collage, Weaving Passive Format Self-guided acvies With or without instrucons ALL AGES Individual work Individual & large group Single topic with 1-4 acvity centers Staff me spent researching &developing acvies for a greater age range Preparaon and restock of supplies Staff driven Outcomes: Self-directed learning , reinforces Discovery Lab as a place for exploraon outside of structured workshops, creates family and intergeneraonal learning opportunies Challenges: No staff presence = library receives minimal feedback or evaluaon of acvies, accurate aendance numbers, unseen audience demographics Successes: Extends parcipaon to a wider audience beyond ages 9-14yrs, offers curiosity driven and independent learning, draws aenon to Discovery Lab programming Future needs: Prepared modules from outside organizaons with simple learning models or acvies that staff could choose and order on-line. Example Programs: Take it Apart and Put it Back Together (Bicycle), Pocket Solar System, Snap Circuits, Musical Instruments Broomfield Library’s Science Task Force Number of Programs Aendance Science Task Force 8 226 Mul & Single Sessions 58 494 Maker in Residence 15 415 Passive 36 6,779 The Science Task Force is a community-based group of ci- zens with backgrounds in teaching and/or research in vari- ous fields of science. This group of volunteers was estab- lished in 2004 with an objecve to design acvies and demonstraons that build inquiry and reasoning skills on topics of science discovery, research, and technology. 2014 Program Snapshot 1-100 1-12 Mul-Session Format Outcomes: Skill building/ learning, process rather than product Challenges: Parcipants and presenters to commit to mulple sessions. comming to one topic for an extended period, storing and tracking materials/projects over the duraon of the course, limited number parcipants at a me Successes: Staff/parcipants build a relaonship with the experts & community partners, audience are self -selected parcipants who are interested in the topic, parcipants can go deeper into the topic & pracce advanced skills, peer to peer sharing/learning Future Needs: “Program in a Box” - curriculum and materials for staff to facilitate programs, ask ORGANIZATIONS if they can offer/design mul-session programs, connued financial support for funding presenters and materials. Acvies designed by an expert Product driven by specific parameters Ages 9-14 Individual & small groups Aendance required for all sessions Single topic Skills are built over mulple weeks/sessions Outcomes: Skill building/ learning, invenng, crical thinking Challenges: Designing acvies that allow for invenon, offering enough variety for parcipants to invent, hour me frame, planning ahead to idenfy and purchase materials Successes: Peer to peer sharing/learning, empower parcipants to create rules and be the expert, encourages parcipants to explore non-tradional learning structures Future Needs: Staff me/training dedicated to STEM learning and program design, develop partnerships with experts who can offer INVENTION as a learning outcome Example Programs: Land, Sea, and Air, Rube Goldberg, Green Screen Exploratory Learning Acvies designed by parcipant Product driven by invenon & creavity Ages 9-14 Individual & small groups Single topic Skills are built over mulple weeks/sessions Staff me spent researching, tesng, and implemenng acvies Directed Learning Contacng & scheduling experts Collaborang with experts to create curriculum & outcomes Staffing programs Individual hobbyists: library staff Amateur experts: members of the local community Professionals in the field Volunteers: Teens to help staff programs : “Teens for Tweens” 1-12 Outcomes: Skill building & invenng Challenges: Designing the acvity to appeal to the designated audience, designing acvies that allow for invenon, offering enough variety for the parcipants to invent, hour me frame, planning ahead to idenfy and purchase materials, compliance with city safety standards Successes: Peer to peer sharing/learning, empower parcipants to create rules and be the expert, encourages parcipants to explore non-tradional learning structures Future Needs: Offer single sessions mulple mes with different set of parcipants, staff me/training dedicated to STEM learning and program design, develop partnerships with experts who can offer inven- on as a learning outcome Example Programs: Emulsions, Food renovaon, Take it Apart (Electronics) Exploratory Learning Acvies designed by parcipant Product driven by invenon & creavity Ages 9-14 Individual & small groups Staff me spent researching, tesng, and implemenng acvies Outcomes: Skill building & exposure to topic Challenges: Finding experts who have knowledge and skills to educate and movate youth aendees, incorporang hands-on learning, managing and making learning meaningful for large groups, staff me dedicated to STEM learning Successes: Staff/parcipants build a relaonship with the expert & form connuing relaonships with community partners, parcipants exposed to new learning styles and experts who work in the field, peer-to-peer sharing/learning Future Needs: Unlimited pool of community experts, connued financial support for funding presenters, idenfying materials and presenter needs Example Programs: STF programming, Anatomy in Clay, Electronic Greeng Cards, Birdhouses Directed Learning Acvies designed by an expert Product driven by specific parameters Ages 9-14 Individual & small groups Single topic with 1-4 acvity centers Contacng & scheduling experts and staffing programs University Educators: CU Science Discovery Adult Volunteers: Science Task Force Museums: Denver Museum of Nature & Science , Molly Brown House Local businesses: Sandoz Pharmaceucals Single Session Format Volunteers: City’s Health & Human Services, IT Volunteers: Teens to help staff programs: “Teens for Tweens” Single topic with 1-4 acvity centers 1-50 1-50 Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library Broomfield, Colorado Pauline Noomnam, Fran Jenner, Gigi Yang Directed Learning (Acvies designed by an expert): Exploratory Learning (Acvies designed by parcipant): Audience (Age and Group size): Number of Parcipants Per Day (1-100): Level of Staff Involvement (Low to High): Community Partnerships: 1-12 Key 1-12