Affective and cognitive outcomes of science teaching in schools may be enhanced by science outreach labs (SOLs). Particularly interesting is whether and how to connect SOL visits to in-school science learning. Recent studies--among others, in this journal--have confirmed SOLs' positive affective effects. However, research remains inconclusive…

University of Virginia, like many other universities, has developed a chemistry outreach program (called Chemistry Learning through Experimentation, Awareness, and Demonstration; i.e., Chemistry LEAD) that visits K-5 schools and teaches inquiry-based chemistry lessons in order to engage local students with science. Chemistry LEAD is graduate…

Attracting a general audience to STEM topics can be a challenge, and developing engaging and interactive instruction is important for educators in all fields. While many chemical educators have successfully used pop-culture themes to introduce their students to scientific concepts, these encounters are largely limited to formal classroom…

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is higher in American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) than in any other racial or ethnic group in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). In response to this escalating health issue, the U.S. government funded a number…

Outreach is often seen as only having an impact on the school students taking part rather than also having an impact on the accompanying teachers participating in university led outreach activities. A group of secondary school science teachers who have been long-term engagers in chemistry outreach at a single Higher Education Institution have been…

Limited public outreach programs about Arizona native fish exist and those that do are passive, fee-based, or Web-oriented, while others limit their geographic range. The program this article addresses sought to improve this situation with development of a state-wide outreach program with a goal to educate Arizona's children about native fish with…

A study of teachers' responses to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in a graduate course in Literature and Education for Sustainable Development, at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies, Mona, revealed that ESD can change indifference to the "commons" to one of mindfulness about local and global…

We describe experience with a pilot week-long, No-Child-Left-Inside (NCLI), outdoor program implemented in Cache Valley, Utah, in 2012. Through response analysis of a "pre-then-post" children's survey and a parent-completed demographic survey, we assess program effectiveness in raising children's enthusiasm for nature-related behaviors…

This paper explores teachers' objectives when engaging their students in University outreach programme. Their perceptions of the short-term and long-term effects of outreach engagement on their students are explored. Seven out of twelve teachers interviewed (all from state schools) believed there were long term effects such as a rise in students…

In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Kindergarten Readiness Act into law, which changed the kindergarten entry age so that children must turn 5 by September instead of December to enroll. The new grade level was put into place to promote school readiness for California's youngest learners. It also established a new grade…

Wheat and soybean producers pay a small amount per bushel produced as a check-off. Funds are used for research, outreach, and crop promotion. Commodity organizations and Extension joined forces to develop multi-state educational outreach on spring wheat and soybean production. Participatory planning involved producers in developing these…

In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Kindergarten Readiness Act into law, which changed the kindergarten entry age so that children must turn 5 by September instead of December to enroll. The new grade level was put into place to promote school readiness for California's youngest learners. It also established a new grade…

Purpose: This paper seeks to explore the theoretical bases for teacher-delivered and peer-delivered sexual health promotion and education. Design/methodology/approach: The first section briefly outlines the main theories informing sexual health interventions for young people, and the second discusses their implications for modes of delivery.…

Learning modern genetics is challenging and students have difficulty acquiring a coherent cognitive mental model of abstract concepts such as DNA, bacteria and enzymes. Here we investigated students' mental models of genetics through analysis and interpretation of the discourse that took place while high-school students practised hands-on…

This paper describes the design and implementation of a tool for experimenting with mobile robotics concepts, primarily for use by children and teenagers, or by the general public, without previous experience in robotics. This tool helps children learn about science in an approachable and interactive way, using scientific research principles in…