Welcome to New York STEM City!
Young people who have the opportunity to meet real scientists and engineers — and who are exposed to science through active inquiry-based learning — are more likely to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). And New York City needs more scientists and engineers! Today the city is poised to become the world’s leading market for STEM jobs, and yet many of our children have never met or interacted with a “real” scientist, particularly in our most underserved neighborhoods. That’s why the New York Academy of Sciences is embarking on an unprecedented effort to put a scientist in every underserved public middle school across all five boroughs of New York City. And we need your help! To learn how you or your organization can participate, contact us today.
The Fundamentals are in Place
In 2010 the Academy partnered with New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development to launch the Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program (ASMP), an initiative to grow STEM literacy among middle school children in underserved neighborhoods. ASMP trains young scientists and engineers to act as instructors, mentors, and role models, and places them in afterschool sites around New York and New Jersey.
“The program really helped me to view learning from the students’ perspective. It also helped my understanding of how they think and develop as people.”
-Scientist Participant, SiR
Building on this early success, in 2014 we added the Scientist-in-Residence (SiR) program, which pairs scientists with public school teachers to develop inquiry-based research projects for the classroom. By building partnerships between teachers and scientists, this innovative program not only provides students the opportunity to engage in authentic, hands-on research, it also gives teachers the critical support they need to bring scientific inquiry to life in the classroom.
Both ASMP and SiR further extend their impact through Family Science Nights, which are held at schools or local community-based organizations in each of the five boroughs. These interactive events engage students and families in fun activities designed to help parents feel more comfortable with STEM content. Importantly, these events also allow the students to become the experts and to think of themselves as scientists.
“The scientist was wonderful — helpful, engaged, interested in my students and pedagogy … I want to participate again!”
-Teacher Participant, SiR
The combined impact of these programs has been tremendous. Since the original launch of ASMP in 2010, we have:
- Trained and placed over 1,000 scientists
- Engaged more than 13,000 students from underserved primary and middle schools
- Delivered 132,000 learning hours of engaging STEM content in locations across New York and New Jersey
Now Let’s Take it to the Next Level!
Today — with the generous support of our sponsors — we are able to train and place scientists in 40 public schools annually, in some of the most underserved neighborhoods in the city. But we can do better! Our goal is to turn NYC into STEM City by putting a scientist in every underserved public middle school across all five boroughs within the next five years. To find out how you can help, contact us today.
Our goal is to turn NYC into STEM City, by putting a scientist in every underserved middle school across the five boroughs!
Scientist-in-Residence
Young people who are exposed to science through active inquiry-based learning are more likely to pursue STEM careers. And one of the most effective ways to engage students in this type of learning is to give them the opportunity to conduct authentic scientific research with a real scientist!
A Partnership Between Teachers and Scientists
The Scientist-in-Residence (SiR) program matches scientists—including graduate students, postdocs, and professionals—with New York City public school teachers to bring scientific inquiry to life in the classroom. With their sharing of knowledge and experience in teaching and science, each scientist-teacher pair scopes out and leads a year-long STEM project that prepares students to engage in independent research and spark their interest in STEM learning. Scientists serve as role models and experts on the scientific methods, project design, and literature review while teachers tailor the projects to fit learning standards with knowledge of pedagogy and lesson development. Scientist-in-Residence aims to enhance scientist’s pedagogical skills and create a unique opportunity to explore teaching as a potential career as well as to expand teachers’ STEM content and their capacity to implement related projects, and eventually elevate students’ interest and ability to engage in STEM.
For more information about how you can participate in or support SiR, please contact Program Manager, Adrienne Umali at aumali@nyas.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsors
Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program
The Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program (ASMP) recruits young scientists and engineers to mentor middle school students in underserved communities throughout New York City, with the goal of inspiring a lifelong interest in STEM. In partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), ASMP assigns mentors to selected after-school program sites to teach a variety of curriculum, ranging from genetics to space science. Participating Mentors receive training in STEM curriculum and youth development, then work in pairs to implement weekly sessions. Upon completion of the program, Mentors receive a New York Academy of Sciences Mentoring Credential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Be Notified When Summer 2020 Recruitment Begins
Family Science Nights
Research shows that interactions with STEM professionals can transform kids’ views of science, and positively impact their career aspirations. But most students in the New York area rarely have the opportunity to meet and interact with real scientists. That’s why the Academy created an outreach effort called Family Science Night, which recruits Academy Members, grad students, postdocs, and STEM professionals to spend an evening working with kids on hands-on scientific projects and demonstrations. With five family science nights per year, one in each borough, we hope to make this volunteer opportunity accessible to scientists and engineers throughout the greater New York area.
Interested in Participating in a Family Science Night?
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions?
If you have any questions concerning Family Science Nights, email us at ASMP@nyas.org.