{"id":38844,"date":"2019-08-05T14:13:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T18:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/news\/?p=38844"},"modified":"2021-07-20T08:34:52","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T12:34:52","slug":"using-after-school-programs-to-promote-stem-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/news\/using-after-school-programs-to-promote-stem-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Using after-school programs to promote STEM learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”text-container”]For this science experiment, the group of senior 4-H\u2019ers would need to go outside.<\/p>\n

Getting ready to present at her 4-H program, Kalani Washington and her classmates were practicing a chemical reaction that involved dropping Mentos mints into a bottle of Diet Coke. Things were about to get messy.<\/p>\n

The Oconee County High School sophomore can tell you all about the chemical process that creates the geyser of cola foam. (Hint: It has to do with the mints releasing the carbon dioxide that gives soda its signature fizz.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s messy and visually stimulating STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) experiments like this that can catch and hold a child\u2019s attention, and it\u2019s the kind of project the University of Georgia\u2019s Emilie Smith encourages after-school educational programs to adopt. These simple but captivating experiences can spell the difference between an engaged and scientifically curious citizen and one without such a happy ending.<\/p>\n

On the hot summer day of the Mentos experiment, Smith and Kasey Bozeman, 4-H science director, were visiting the Oconee County 4-H, directed by UGA alumnae Kelle Ashley, Oconee County 4-H agent, and Allison Barnes, Oconee County 4-H program assistant. Smith is piloting a program to help the people who run after-school programs become more comfortable integrating STEM projects into their curriculum.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”38848″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” el_class=”container”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”text-container”]Smith, a professor of human development and family science, has spent her career working on local and national projects designed to promote positive parenting and youth development. Ultimately, she wants to reduce youth substance abuse and problem behavior. Because 70% of juvenile delinquency occurs after the final bell rings, Smith focuses on after-school activities to help young people connect and engage in positive ways.<\/p>\n

After all, adolescent criminal activity isn\u2019t just problematic; it\u2019s expensive. According to a 2018\u00a0Justice Policy Institute<\/a>\u00a0report, it can cost upward of $300,000 to incarcerate a teen for a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would rather spend that on college tuition, the training of counselors, nurses, electricians or plumbers,\u201d says Smith. \u201cI would rather invest in helping young people pursue more fulfilling pathways.\u201d<\/p>\n

After-school programs offer a means of keeping kids out of trouble while also helping them learn to give back to their communities. Smith\u2019s research found that the most successful after-school programs\u2014the ones that had the right balance of structure and child engagement in activities\u2014had adult leaders who involved the children in defining the rules of the program. That way, children in the group held each other accountable for their behavior and learned to regulate their own emotions and behaviors without relying exclusively on adults to resolve conflicts. They also feel like they have a say in how their environments are regulated, giving them a sense of autonomy that further connects them to their group.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1626460309139{padding-bottom: 50px !important;background-color: #e4ddc7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”text-container” css=”.vc_custom_1626459887266{padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Making science fun<\/h2>\n

Professor Emilie Smith helps 4-H’ers conduct an experiment using the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar to inflate a balloon and one that develops secret messages by using lemon juice to write notes and heating the paper to cause a reaction that makes the previously invisible markings visible.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner el_class=”container”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”38847″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”38846″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”38845″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”text-container”]For the adults, who range from college students to retired teachers running groups like the Boys and Girls Club, learning how to facilitate this kind of development takes guidance. Children do best with a mix of structure and support, but it can sometimes be difficult to strike that delicate balance. So, using online training videos, text messaging and phone calls, \u201ccoaches\u201d provide feedback to the group leaders and teach them how to mediate interactions rather than just control them.<\/p>\n

Now, Smith is studying how those after-school programs can not only keep kids out of trouble but also encourage them in the STEM subjects that may have seemed daunting before and help students give back to their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids learn best in environments where they can experiment, lead activities, make mistakes and figure out what the right answer is,\u201d Smith says.<\/p>\n

Those opportunities are myriad in 4-H. The Diet Coke experiment, which Smith said reminded her of the Magic School Bus where the motto is \u201cLet\u2019s Get Messy,\u201d is just one example of how a simple but visually exciting\u2014not to mention incredibly sticky\u2014project can pique a child\u2019s interest in the sciences and keep them engaged in their community of learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are teaching the next generation of innovators in these programs,\u201d says Smith. \u201cI want to help them become citizens of our communities who can use knowledge in a number of areas to innovate, give and contribute, confidently and competently.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section css=”.vc_custom_1567780280331{background-color: #000000 !important;}” el_class=”white research-spotlight”][vc_row el_class=”text-container”][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”38728″ img_size=”200×200″ alignment=”right” style=”vc_box_circle_2″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1567780668979{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]JTNDcCUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyc3ViaGVhZGluZyUyMiUzRUFib3V0JTIwdGhlJTIwUmVzZWFyY2hlciUzQyUyRnAlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text el_class=”white”]<\/p>\n

Emilie Smith<\/h3>\n

Professor
\nHuman Development and Family Science
\nCollege of Family and Consumer Sciences<\/p>\n

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Support Stronger Families<\/h2>\n

Donate to the Human Development and Family Science Fund<\/p>\n

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