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NGCP Evaluation Highlights

This brief report highlights evaluation findings from approximately seven years of the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP). The report presents evidence on how NGCP has increased collaboration, sharing of resources, and knowledge and use of exemplary practices. For example, on average, NGCP event attendees connected with ten new people and 90% of attendees met somebody with whom they would like to collaborate. Seventy-three percent of 2012 Annual Survey respondents indicated NGCP that had increased their knowledge of exemplary practices related to serving girls in STEM and 75% of respondents had applied or planned to apply the practices to their work. This report also documents the impact of increased levels of collaboration and use of exemplary practices on girl-serving STEM programs, including increased efficiency and effectiveness. It was prepared by Evaluation & Research Associates, evaluators of NGCP. View a PDF of the publication.

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SciGirls Earn Three Daytime Emmy Nominations

Congratulations to the SciGirls team for being nominated for three Daytime Emmys! Nomination categories include: Outstanding Children's Series, Outstanding New Approaches, and Enhancements to a Daytime Program or Series and Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Editing. To learn more about SciGirls,visit: http://pbskids.org/scigirls.

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Spotlight: Discover Earth

What are some examples of the exciting work the EdLab Group is doing in STEM? From K-12 programming to advance girls in science and technology fields to digital education centers, we coordinate efforts and expand STEM capacities within communities across the country. Discover Earth, a traveling exhibit for public libraries in rural areas, showcases earth science topics such as weather, climate, and polar ecosystems, and pulls together many effective resources to help librarians. Reaching all corners of the continental United States, Discover Earth offers libraries a great opportunity to bring their communities into a stimulating STEM environment.

The libraries selected to host Discover Earth: A Century of Change (listed in alphabetical order by state) are:

• Inglewood Public Library, Inglewood, Calif
• Garfield County Public Library, Rifle, Colo.
• West Florida Public Library System, Pensacola, Fla.
• St. Charles Parish Library, Luling, La.
• Little Priest Tribal College, Winnebago, Neb.
• East Meadow Public Library, East Meadow, N.Y.
• Ephrata Public Library, Ephrata, Pa.
• TLL Temple Memorial Library, Diboll, Texas
• Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Va.
• Laramie County Library System, Cheyenne, Wyo.

The exhibit highlights the natural wonders of our universe both locally and nationally. Interactive presentation engage individuals in the process of evolution and life cycles, with a particular emphasis on mammalian adaptation to harsh weather conditions.

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WA After-School Programs Focus On Science, Technology

In 30 towns and cities around Washington today, people are celebrating "Lights On Afterschool." The annual event calls attention to the need for high-quality programs and activities for students outside the traditional school day.

The Lynnwood-based Edlab Group makes grants to programs in 36 states that focus on technology and science for girls through its National Girls Collaborative Project. Vicky Raya, a diversity program manager for Edlab, says women still are under-represented in science careers - and the hours after school are a great time to get them interested.

"In these after-school programs, there's more freedom to bring in inspiring, hands-on materials that really elicit engagement and relevancy of these subjects for students - which is really what creates those critical thinkers that we need, for the research of the future."

Other countries are turning out a lot more scientists than is the United States, Raya says, and that research shows that students are more likely to become interested in science or technology when they experience it hands-on, more as a hobby than a school requirement.

Nationally, the Afterschool Alliance says 62 percent of after-school programs report their funding is down from three years ago.

Raya is also a national Afterschool Ambassador who speaks to civic and school groups and lawmakers about the importance of keeping these programs strong.

"They're vital to students, they're vital to working families. They help students get inspired in learning and they keep them safe, as well as helping families who are working and need a place to have their children stay engaged in the learning process."

A national survey says more than 15 million students are home alone after school, and that their parents would consider enrolling them in after-school activities if they were available in their area.

An EdLab event will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at South Shore School, 4800 S. Henderson St., Seattle, cosponsored by School's Out Washington, Kids Co., and the King County Youth Development Network.