4-H Water Wizards: Lessons Learned for Effective Afterschool Science Programming

Autor: Marianne Bird, Aarti Subramaniam
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: California Agriculture, Pp 112-120 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0008-0845
2160-8091
DOI: 10.3733/ca.2022a0012
Popis: The University of California 4-H Youth Development Program created the 4-H Water Wizards project in response to two related issues: the need for high-quality science education programming in afterschool settings, and the desire to foster a citizenry that understands and can make informed decisions about water. In collaboration with afterschool program staff, Sacramento County 4-H implemented the 12-week water education project for children in grades four through six. We evaluated the program over four years (2012–2016) utilizing a pretest-posttest study design and evaluation surveys from participants and program staff. Our findings indicate positive outcomes both for program staff who delivered the project and for the children who participated in the program. Afterschool program staff gained competence in delivering hands-on and inquiry-based science programming. Fourth- and fifth-grade students demonstrated small but significant knowledge gain about water. Students also demonstrated increased awareness about water issues and water conservation behavior. We discuss our findings for both groups and share our insights for promising practices when collaborating with afterschool providers, especially relating to the importance and challenge of science education in afterschool settings.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals