A project of the Afterschool Alliance.

The Impact of Afterschool STEM: Science Minors Clubs

Year Published: 2016

Science Minors Clubs is an outreach initiative of the Museum of Science and Industry aimed at increasing interest in science in underserved neighborhoods by engaging students in places where they already spend their time after school, such as community-based organizations and schools. In this selection of evaluation data from the 2013-2014 school year, participants demonstrated gains along three major categories of youth outcomes—interest in STEM, capacity to engage in STEM, and finding value in STEM.

Program Name: Science Minors Clubs

Program Description: Science Minors Clubs is an outreach initiative of the Museum of Science and Industry aimed at increasing interest in science in underserved neighborhoods by engaging students in places where they already spend their time after school, such as community-based organizations and schools. Participants work together on STEM projects and activities that build curiosity and encourage teamwork.

Scope of the Evaluation: Multi-city, Local

Program Type: Afterschool

Location: Chicago, IL and its suburbs, as well as northwest Indiana

Community Type: Rural, Urban, Suburban

Grade level: Elementary School

Program Demographics: 48 percent African-American, 36 percent Hispanic/Latino, 8 percent Caucasian, 6 percent Asian-American/ Pacific Islander; 87 percent qualify for federal free or reduced price lunch.

Program Website: http://www.msichicago.org/education/out-of-school-time/science-minors-clubs

Evaluator: Museum of Science and Industry in-house evaluation team

Evaluation Methods: The museum’s in-house research and evaluation team collects data sources using student intake forms, weekly attendance reporting, surveys, facilitator reflections and site observations. Program implementation, effectiveness and usability of the curriculum and pedagogical approaches, impact of the professional development training, and community perceptions of the museum have also been evaluated.

Evaluation Type: Non-experimental

Outcomes:
Below is a selection of evaluation data reported by the program around three major categories of youth outcomes—interest in STEM, capacity to productively engage in STEM, and finding value in STEM. These outcomes are an excerpt from a 2016 Afterschool Alliance paper, "The Impact of Afterschool STEM: Examples from the Field."

Interest: I like to do this
  • 87 percent of youth indicated that they enjoy science and 92 percent expressed interest in doing more science activities.
  • Participants demand more STEM—85 percent of site facilitators reported adding additional STEM topics and 57 percent accessed additional curriculum kits to expand offerings for their club participants.

Capacity: I can do this

  • Site observations revealed that 80 percent of facilitators encouraged youth to formulate testable questions and 93 percent fostered the collection of data and recording of observations.
  • Participants use real STEM tools—93 percent of observed sites provided opportunities for youth to use tools such as a hand lens, calorimeter and rulers to make observations, take measurements or collect data.
  • Observations indicated that 80 percent of sites observed provided opportunities for youth to report out their findings and communicate their ideas to the broader group.

Value: This is important to me

  • In site observations, 86 percent of facilitators supported youth in making connections to their everyday lives and 78 percent of participating youth indicated that they use science in their everyday lives. Of the sites implementing the “Green Energy” curriculum, 100 percent of facilitators reported participation in a recycling program.
  • An average of 1,350 youth and family members participate in the museum’s STEM career fairs. 100 percent of youth attending the fairs completed a STEM career journal, which guided their interviews of STEM professionals and encouraged them to describe STEM careers of personal interest.