“Out-of-school time, which makes up close to 80 percent of a child’s life, can build the academic and social-emotional skills that help students succeed. Specifically for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math — or STEM ― skills, out-of-school time allows students to approach knowledge and content in innovative and personalized ways, providing a freedom of choice and agency that is often missing during the school day.”

Gemma Lenowitz of Overdeck Family Foundation shared this important reminder during last week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar, Inspiring Young Minds Through Out-of-School STEM, as she moderated a conversation with leaders from four innovative STEM organizations.

Lenowitz was joined by Nav Deol-Johnson, MSW, of Imagine Science; Britt Magneson of National Inventors Hall of Fame®; Nick Monzi of Learn Fresh; and Chris San Antonio-Tunis, M.Ed., of Museum of Science, Boston/EiE, each of whom provided an overview of their programs.

• Imagine Science is a collaboration of four leading national youth organizations ― Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Girls, Inc.; National 4-H Council; and Y-USA ― formed to bridge the STEM gap by bringing STEM programming to underserved and under-represented children. Imagine Science provides sites with curricula, training, data and other assets, enabling them to integrate high-quality STEM activities into their programs.
• National Inventors Hall of Fame® provides STEM programming for ages ranging from preschool to adult, working in both the out-of-school and classroom spaces. It partners with community organizations, school districts and schools to deliver problem-solving learning opportunities for students in addition to professional development for educators and resources for families.
• Learn Fresh serves as home to the NBA Math Hoops Program, a program that builds users’ math skills by engaging them around their interests in sports. Launched as a board game focused on basketball, Learn Fresh has grown to include a suite of experiences, including a mobile app and activities related to baseball, music and the performing arts.
• EiE is the curricula division of the Museum of Science, Boston, providing research-based engineering and computer science PreK–8 curricula for families, out-of-school time providers, and classroom educators.

The presenters explained why STEM skills are important for all children whether or not they plan to pursue a career in a STEM field, noting how these programs can also tap into children’s innate curiosity, interests and passions; strengthen connections between school, family and afterschool; and promote problem-solving skills and collaboration. They described how the out-of-school context is particularly well-suited for STEM learning, explaining how their hands-on, collaborative programming offers benefits to classroom educators as well as students. They also shared the ways in which their programs shifted as a result of the pandemic, including innovations that they will incorporate into post-pandemic programming and unexpected benefits like increased access to rural communities.