The Office of Science Outreach Participates in National Programs

Madison, Wis. (October 20, 2022) –STEM Next is a national leader in bringing in- and out-of-school STEM learning opportunities to millions of children and helping them take an active role in their learning. The Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth (ISRY) at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in partnership with STEM Next have created the Family Engagement in STEM program. The ROSE Project (via the Office of Science Outreach) is one of nine organizations nationwide to take part in this study.

The program looks at family engagement from all levels (elementary education, non-profits, higher education, etc.) to determine best practices in the field and to share resources to increase recruitment and retention of caregivers in STEM education programs. The Office of Science Outreach will submit plans for an end-of-semester capstone project and will receive ongoing support from the program’s staff over the next few months. They plan to use this experience to enhance skills and abilities in family engagement and connect with other innovative projects from across the nation to share ideas, initiatives, and more.

Family Engagement Community of Practice (CoP) is a branch of STEM Next Opportunity Fund’s Family Engagement Projects. It focuses on furthering opportunities for professional developments in family-centric STEM engagement, based on research-informed practices. To participate, the Office of Science Outreach applied as part of a collaborative group of organizations in our immediate area, with each organization presenting a new aspect of community outreach or STEM engagement. The application submitted was in collaboration with BadgerBots Inc. (with Leah Fulmer, Program Content Lead) and the Madison Public Library-Goodman Branch (with Will Glenn Sr.-Teen Librarian) with the hopes of using the CoP as a vehicle for innovation program development in Madison. As a part of the program, this group will meet on a regular basis for six months to develop new programs and gain additional training in STEM-based family engagement.

“We are very thankful for the opportunity to participate in both STEM Next’s Family Engagement in STEM study and Family Engagement Community of Practice program to further the impact of our ROSE Project across Wisconsin,” said Bernie Traversari, Director of Science Outreach at Edgewood College. “We believe ROSE offers a unique model to increase family engagement in STEM education, but also realize that remaining innovative and up to date with best practices is key to the successful growth of our Project, and that can only be achieved through collaboration and sharing of resources with other regional and national organizations. Moreover, we are excited to use this opportunity to develop new science education initiatives and to capitalize on our strengths, and those of our partner organizations, to reach a greater number of families, caregivers, and youth across Wisconsin.”

The Office of Science Outreach will continue to sustain and expand programs in the Madison and Milwaukee areas with the ROSE Project. If you are a school or community center interested in partnering with the ROSE Project, please contact Sarah Stoehr, ROSE Project Coordinator, at sstoehr@edgewood.edu.