Family Science Day

Y

7

Science Education; Family Involvement; College School Cooperation; Science Activities; Hands on Science; Scientists; STEM Education; Museums; Partnerships in Education; Volunteers; Financial Support; Planning

10.2505/4/sc14_051_09_41

0036-8148

This article describes a family-friendly science day event that encourages scientific discovery through hands-on activities, while also providing an opportunity to learn about scientific careers from actual research scientists and science educators, thereby raising awareness of the importance of STEM in our society. The one-day event bought together the local university, museums, and other informal science groups to combine resources and expertise that are often not available in K-12 schools in a safe environment that was open to the whole family. The benefits of these partnerships are tremendous: students can see that the science they learn in school matters in their life outside the classroom; parents can see how they can safely encourage their children to explore and use creativity and critical-thinking skills; and teachers can use these resources and activities to make connections back to their own classrooms. Families were introduced to how resources like space, vendors, content experts, volunteers, money, and a timeline could be arranged if they were interested in setting-up of a Family Science Day in their communities.

ERIC

6

2014

EJ1037375