This session was originally held on April 17, 2019.
Research shows that children benefit greatly from the involvement of their parents and families throughout their educational careers. However, many adults are not knowledgeable or comfortable with STEM content, which presents a barrier to family engagement in these topics. This series of two webinars from the Astrophysics Education Team from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center presents whole-family STEM learning programs that engage family members equally as learners and teachers. The NASA Family Science Night model, developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, was designed to build confidence and foster curiosity in STEM fields for middle-school students and their families using research-based best practices. The webinars will cover both research and practice, by giving an overview of the program, emphasizing the research behind the benefits of family learning, and providing implementation strategies. Each webinar will be interactive, with discussions and opportunities for reflection.
In this Part 2 (April 17, 2019) webinar, participants will delve into the NASA Family Science Night curriculum, a freely-available suite of resources for engaging the whole family in STEM activities. We will also discuss the philosophy and pedagogy behind the NASA Family Science Night model, and the outcomes of intensive evaluation throughout development and dissemination.
After the conclusion of the series, participants who have attended the NASA Institute at the 2019 ELO conference, and both webinars, will have the opportunity to complete a capstone activity to receive certification as a NASA Family Science Night Ambassador. This capstone project involves the flexible implementation of a family science event in the participant’s network followed by documentation of the event (such as an event summary, images, and evaluation forms).
