Citizen Schools proposes to engage 5,700 disadvantaged middle school students in hands-on computing and related STEM projects across its 7-state network of after-school and extended learning programs. By working side-by-side with professionals and graduate students from information technology and other scientific fields, middle school students will realize a connection between their after-school computing apprenticeships and the college and career opportunities to which they can aspire. In the 11-week apprenticeship courses offered within existing Citizen Schools after-school programs, middle school students will create authentic projects that develop a combination of hard and soft skills. Students will build relationships with the adult volunteers who will lead their apprenticeship courses, and these volunteers will speak credibly to students, sharing with them career opportunities in the computing and STEM fields and discussing the academic preparation necessary to pursue them. As a result, disadvantaged middle school students will be more likely to enroll in challenging courses when they enter high school, to better prepare for college, and ultimately to pursue careers in computing and other scientific fields. The project will include four types of apprenticeships: Programming in Computer Game Design, Programming in Robotics, Web Design and Web Related Projects, and Apprenticeships in Astronomy, Solar Energy, Biotechnology, Engineering, and other STEM fields. The project will be evaluated based on pre-post assessments of students? interest in pursuing computing and STEM careers, their understanding of the educational requirements for entry and advancement in those fields, and their sense of efficacy in their ability to attain college admission and career opportunity.
In February of 2010, the National Science Foundation awarded a $1,000,000, three-year grant to Citizen Schools in support of the After-School Computing Apprenticeships Project, to engage disadvantaged students in computing and related STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) hands-on learning activities. More specifically, with support from the NSF, Citizen Schools: Expanded apprenticeships in computing fields. Organized field trips and events that expose students to professionals in computing and technology. Built partnerships with corporations and volunteer professionals in computing fields. Shared successful approaches and best practices on local, regional, and national levels. Citizen Schools exceeded our goals for computing related apprenticeships in all three years of the grant period, including in Year 3 when we had 126 computing apprenticeships vs. a goal of 120. In the combined three years of the project, Citizen Schools offered 305 apprenticeships in computer programming, including game design, robotics, and web design, well exceeding our goal of 240. 4,270 students participated in computer programming apprenticeships in the three years of this project (vs. goal of 3,360). In addition, Citizen Schools offered another 705 apprenticeships in related STEM fields (vs. goal of 160), resulting in 14,140 students who participated in apprenticeships in computer programming, game design, robotics, web design, and other related STEM fields (vs. goal of 5,600). Because each student participates in four apprenticeships a year (two each semester), the majority of Citizen Schools students experienced at least one computing or related STEM apprenticeship each year. Citizen Schools’ Expanded Learning Time (ELT) program extends the learning day for all students in a grade by more than 30% with an integrated program of education and youth development staffed by a "second shift" of staff and volunteers. The model includes three primary elements: (1) weekly, semester-long apprenticeships, hands-on courses led by community volunteers in which students explore new fields and careers; (2) daily academic support, homework time and staff-led, standards-aligned lessons in English Language Arts and math; and (3) weekly College to Career Connections, a combination of college visits and a research-based curriculum. Citizen Schools apprenticeships are helping to change the trajectories of our students' lives by presenting them with opportunities to build academic skills in science and math, create positive relationships with adults, foster leadership abilities, and explore new careers in computing and other fields. With the partnership and support of the National Science Foundation, Citizen Schools is expanding its computing apprenticeships and increasing and diversifying its partnerships with organizations and businesses. As part of the After-School Computing Apprenticeships Project, low-income middle school students work with volunteer scientists and engineers (supported by a Teaching Fellow or Teaching Associate) to design video games, learn to use computer programming software, build robots, and design their own operational websites. For example, in the Scalable Game Design apprenticeship, students create a simple but complete version of the game ‘Frogger’ while learning the AgentSheets software program. Students learn how to apply the design process to identify objects (agents) and interactions (operations). The apprenticeship also introduces students to computational thinking, including basic object interaction, stacks, creating object instances, algorithmic thinking, and message sending. For their "WOW!" presentation event, students demonstrate Frogger before a live audience and provide attendees the opportunity to play the game. In light of the inspiration and achievement gaps in science and technology fields, the need for a different approach to STEM education is clear. The need to reach students in middle school – a time when young people develop aspirations and make choices that dramatically affect later outcomes – is equally apparent. We must ensure that middle grades students have what research tells us they need to develop an interest in STEM careers and the skills to advance toward those careers: (1) Opportunities for authentic, engaging STEM practice; (2) Time and support to master STEM content; and (3) Connections to STEM professionals, career opportunities, and community resources. Citizen Schools’ apprenticeship model engages STEM professionals in education in a way that is both meaningful for students and manageable for volunteers. The support of the National Science Foundation for the After-School Computing Apprenticeships Project has been instrumental in allowing Citizen Schools to refine, expand, and share its model and play an important role in national STEM education efforts.
