SRI Afterschool Science Forums
SRI Education, in collaboration with the California Afterschool Network hosted four forums in March and April 2014 with key actors in the California afterschool and informal science fields to:
- Disseminate research findings about the state of science education in California’s state-funded afterschool programs, and
- Develop recommendations for the future of afterschool science
The forums were framed by the findings of the Afterschool Science Networks Study, a research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The study was a five-year examination of informal science offered in California’s After School Education and Safety (ASES) program sites, exploring the frequency and features of afterschool science offerings in ASES programs, the resources and sources of support underlying those offerings, and the influence of external supports on the features of science offerings. The study is unique in its scope, involving a representative sample of the more than 3,700 afterschool programs that were served throughout the state at the time of the study (ASES now serves more than 4,100 afterschool programs).
The four statewide forums engaged funders, policy makers, researchers, program operators, and others whose daily work influence and shape afterschool experiences for youth. Participants reflected on the SRI research findings, and discussed the future of science education in California’s afterschool programs.
Organizations represented by forum participants:
| After School All Stars, Los Angeles | Mainspring Consulting |
| Alameda County Office of Education | Modesto City Schools - Intervention Programs |
| A-MAN, Inc. | NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Beyond the Bell – Los Angeles Unified School District | NextEd |
| Butte County Office of Education | Partnership for Children and Youth |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools |
| California Department of Education (CDE) | San Bernardino Community College District |
| California School-Age Consortium (CalSAC) | Sacramento County Office of Education |
| Central Valley Afterschool Foundation | S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation |
| Community Science Workshop Network | TechBridge |
| Cooperative Extension San Benito County | Temescal Associates |
| Discovery Science Center | THINK Together |
| Fresno County Office of Education | University of California Irvine | L.A. Regional STEM Hub | YMCA of Silicon Valley |
| LA’s BEST | Workforce Development San Mateo County |
| Lighthouse Community Charter | Woodcraft Rangers |
| Los Angeles County Office of Education |
