2015-2016- COMMUNITY PARTNERS MEETING

SCIENTISTS FOR TOMORROW INITIATIVE

In today's world, a comprehensive understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and related careers is becoming an indispensable resource to ensure the well-being of current and future citizens.

Scientists for Tomorrow's (SfT) vision is to serve as an agent of change in our communities (local, statewide and nationwide) that will provide our youth and adults the possibility to explore STEM subjects and potential careers, and with this understanding, have the opportunity to make an educated decision regarding which career path they want to pursue in their future.

MISSION

PROGRAMS Scient ist s f or Tomorrow

Columbia College Chicago?s Scientists for Tomorrow is an initiative committed to offer STEM Out of School Time (OST) learning opportunities for youth and adults through the collaboration between higher education institutions, community based organizations and the Informal Science Education (ISE) community.

Scientists for Tomorrow teaches middle school and high school students STEM lesson plans through our after school programs. SfT instructors, either Columbia students or professional instructors, teach students STEM workshops and lessons including alternative energy, plants, electricity, circuits, etc throughout the academic year.

GOAL

Parent s of Scient ist s f or Tomorrow

Established in 2011 by Columbia College Chicago, Department of Science and Mathematics, the Scientists for Tomorrow (SfT) Initiative brings together a wide range of programs fostering STEM in community-based organizations (CBO). The main goal of this initiative is to expand STEM learning opportunities through, Out of School Time, (OST) activities and programs, in under-served and underprivileged communities in a sustainable process.

SFT FACTS Year 1: NSF Funded 14 sites Instructors 10 - Participants 545 Year 2: NSF Funded 14 sites Self-Sustained 21 sites Instructors 34 - Participants 767 Year 3: NSF Partially Funded 7 sites Self-Sustained 32 sites Instructors 33 - Participants 958 Year 4: Self-Sustained 35 sites Instructors 44 - Participants 732

Instructors get the opportunity to work with students who are passionate and interested expanding their STEM knowledge outside of class. Parents also participate in these after school programs; an added benefit to bring them together in a common goal.

This program educates parents in the community about various STEM concepts, as well as the importance of careers in STEM. The parents participate in hands-on activities and experience first hand the concepts their students are learning in the SfT Youth program. The program allows parents to enhance their education, and prepares them to be leaders in their community and in their children?s education as well. After attending the program, parents are prepared to assist the instructors with the SfT youth program, in class and at home, building on and solidifying the concepts being taught by our instructors.

Junior Research Scient ist s The Junior Research Scientists offered by the department of Science and Mathematics at Columbia College Chicago, in conjunction with After School Matters (ASM), high school students work with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) content experts and use Columbia College Chicago laboratories through the academic year and the summer. Chicago Public School students who are selected are invited to work as Basic Science Researchers within Columbia?s Laboratories.

ComEd Yout h Ambassadors The ComEd Youth Ambassadors is offered by the department of Science and Mathematics at Columbia College Chicago in conjuntion with After School Matters, to promote a new generation of youth to understand the importance of energy management and to promote higher concepts of ComEd?s Smart Grid initiatives, following the Energy Modernization and Innovation Act. The program is offered in the summer. To register go to ht t p:/ / af t erschool mat t ers.org/ t eens

COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION (CBO) PARTNERS

- Frida Kahl o Communit y Organizat ion - Urban Gat eways

- Erie Neighborhood House - Local School Council

- Boys & Girl s Cl ub of Freeport & St ephenson Count y - Bright on Park Neighborhood Council

- Cent er f or Communit y Art s Part nerships (CCAP) - Af t er School Mat t ers

- YMCA of Met ropol it an Chicago

- Enl ace Chicago

- Logan Square Neighborhood Council - LSNA

- GEMS Jol iet Bapt ist s Church

- Three Rivers Publ ic Library Dist rict - Met ropol it an Famil y Services - Cent er f or Col l ege Access and Success-Nort heast ern Il l inois Universit y / TRIO Upward Bound Mat h and Science/ 21st Cent ury - Cent er For Col l ege Access and Success/ Beyond t he Bel l (BTB) in Aust in - Famil y Focus Inc. - Concept School s

ISE-INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION SCIENTISTS FOR TOMORROW FAMILY SCIENCE DAYS Through a collaboration of educators, museums, and community organizations, Scientists for Tomorrow prepares young participants with skills related to STEM fields and careers; creating positive attitudes towards science and technology information.

Museum of Science and Industry - December 5, 2015 Lyric Opera - May 14, 2015 Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - June 4, 2016 STEAM Conference - May 7, 2016

The STEAM Conference is an event developed/ designed to provide middle school and high school students with the opportunity to attend and participate as practitioners in a conference setting.

Founded in 2010, the conference was developed through the collaboration between the TRIO Upward Bound Math and Science program at the Center for College Access and Success from Northeastern Illinois University and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Scientists for Tomorrow program from the Department of Science and Mathematics at Columbia College Chicago.

The STEAM Conference provides activities that foster Science, Technology, Engineering, Art / Architecture/ Agriculture and Mathematics (STEAM) learning through project-based and career-oriented workshop sessions led by students. The event is attended by middle and high school students, families, teaching professionals and community organization leaders. This unique student led conference, connects a variety of communities in the region to explore STEAM together as peers in a professional setting. If you would like to be a sponsor or have your community site participants present at the STEAM Conference please contact [email protected]

For more inf ormat ion visit www.st eamconf .org

PD- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Columbia College Chicago's contribution is to provide high quality professional development (PD) training's, to the CBO's staff, who want to understand and embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The goal of the PD's is for trained professionals to increase the capacity of the CBO's to continue providing STEM-related lessons that can be easily integrated in Out- ofSchool Time (OTS).

2015-2016 PD SCHEDULE

FALL 2015

September 19, 2015 - Part 1: Alternative Energy October 17, 2015 - Part 2: Alternative Energy

WINTER 2016

January 23, 2016 - Part 1: Physics of Sound and Mathematics of Music February 20, 2016 - Part 2: Physics of Sound and Mathematics of Music

SPRING2016

March 05, 2016 - Part 1: People and Plants April 2, 2016 - Part 2: People and Plants

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHIGAGO 600 S. MICHIGAN AVE. CHICAGO, IL 60605 WWW.COLUM.EDU

Evel yn Oropeza Coordinator of Community Engagement Programs Columbia College Chicago Department of Science and Mathematics [email protected] (312) 369-7510

@SfTinitiative

/ ScientistsforTomorrow

WWW.SCIENTISTSFORTOMORROW.ORG

Marcel o Capl an Associate Professor Columbia College Chicago Department of Science and Mathematics [email protected] (312) 369- 7989