Hands-On Science Education in After School
As a network, BYEN brings together over 100 of the best public and private sector organizations delivering quality environmental and science education programs for youth. BYEN provides a central coordinating function that helps schools and after-school programs to build valuable relationships with EE providers so that “science is brought to life,” as one teacher described.
Outdoor environmental education is a vital component of STEM. Students learn about the natural world around them, particularly through hands-on learning experiences that get them outdoors. Kids from pre-school up through high school need to spend time playing in the mud, catching frogs and planting gardens. EE’s approach of getting kids outdoors, discovering the world around them is inherently fun and engaging. Making science fun, relevant and less intimidating, EE is the hook that sparks an interest in the sciences and the process of inquiry.
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Everday Explorers: Bringing Science Alive in After School
BYEN's Everyday Explorers AmeriCorps Program places 15 AmeriCorps members trained in Environmental Education and service projects in after-school programs to facilitate science learning opportunities in Boston. Everyday Explorers aims to encourage community service for its program participants, and use that as a forum for environmental learning and stewardship. Through environmental service learning projects and after-school activities, Everyday Explorers provide program participants with opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning that foster school success and greater engagement while allowing youth to form close, informal relationships with adults who can act as role models.
Participating After School Program Sites
Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston - Sumner, Orchard Gardens, & Condon Elementary Schools
Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester - Daniel Marr
DotWell-Lee After School Program
Zoo New England
Interested in becoming an Everyday Explorers AmeriCorps member for the 2011-12 school year? Contact Dawn Chavez at dchavez@environetwork.org for more information.