Engagement Strategies

Effective engagement strategies for scientists working with K-12 students should focus on making science interactive, hands-on, and connected to real-world problems. Here are some impactful approaches:

Hands-on Experiments and Inquiry-Based Learning: Allowing students to conduct experiments themselves helps them experience science as active problem-solving. This is especially useful for concepts that are abstract or impossible to directly observe in the natural world. For example, students can engage in small group experiments where they use the scientific method to investigate real-world phenomena, like measuring biodiversity in their school environment or designing experiments using simple materials (1). Try to design activities that use simple, easily accessible equipment that can be used in classrooms or at home.

Use of Technology: Incorporating technology, such as digital microscopes, 3D printers, and coding kits, can make science more engaging. Tools like educational apps or simulations allow students to visualize complex concepts, making learning more interactive (2). Be prepared to offer alternatives for schools or classrooms that do not have access to the internet or computers.

Project-Based Learning: This approach gives students the opportunity to work on extended scientific projects, fostering deeper engagement and understanding. For instance, students might design and build structures or vehicles to explore principles like aerodynamics or structural integrity (2)​ (3). Having a real-world audience for projects is often more motivational and effective for learners than something designed for a class audience, for example, having students work with local community organizations or school stakeholders.

Gamification and Simulations: Adding elements of game design or using simulations in science lessons can increase engagement. Games that require problem-solving, such as coding puzzles or science-based challenges, make learning more enjoyable and relatable (2).

Storytelling and Creativity: Storytelling can be a powerful way to explain scientific concepts, making them more relatable. Encouraging creativity, such as having students create their own experiments or multimedia presentations, also enhances engagement by making the learning process more personal (2). Design opportunities for students to share their work with multiple kinds of authentic audiences, including peers, family, and community.

By incorporating these strategies, scientists can inspire curiosity and a love for science among K-12 students, helping them see science as a dynamic and exciting field in which they want to be engaged as a career or citizen.

Engagement Activities

Examples of effective STEM outreach activities designed to engage various audiences, including K-12 students:

Science Festivals

  • Example: Each April Michigan State University runs the Science Festival, attracting thousands of students, educators, and families. It features interactive exhibits and hands-on activities for a diverse array of science disciplines. (Home Page—Science Festival—Michigan State University (msu.edu))
  • Impact: These festivals provide a platform for scientists and engineers to directly interact with the public, making STEM concepts accessible and fun for all ages.

STEM Summer Camps

  • Example: Michigan State University hosts many STEM summer camps, including 4-H programs, LEGO Robotics, and math related summer camps such as Cooperative Highly Accelerated Mathematics Program (CHAMP) and Gifted University for Precocious and Passionate Youth (GUPPY). Additionally, there are programs for underrepresented groups in STEM, such as Spartan Girls in Engineering. (Home - Spartan Youth Programs - Michigan State University (msu.edu))
  • Impact: Camps provide intensive exposure to STEM topics, helping students develop skills in coding, robotics, engineering, and more, while also building confidence and interest in pursuing STEM careers.

School-Based STEM Outreach Programs

  • Example: The STEM Ambassadors Program run by universities or nonprofits sends scientists and engineers into K-12 classrooms to engage students through workshops, demonstrations, and mentorship. With improvements in distance learning technologies, scientists are also effectively engaging students online.
  • Impact: By bringing real scientists into the classroom, these programs can demystify STEM careers and make science more approachable for students (Successful STEM Education).

Citizen Science Projects

  • Example: The Zooniverse platform hosts numerous citizen science projects that invite the public to participate in real scientific research, such as classifying galaxies or tracking animal migrations.
  • Impact: Citizen science projects engage people of all ages in authentic research, showing them how their contributions can help solve real-world problems while educating them on scientific methods.

After-School STEM Clubs

  • Example: Programs like FIRST LEGO League and MathCounts offer structured after-school clubs where students can engage in STEM activities, such as building robots or solving complex math problems.
  • Impact: These clubs foster teamwork, problem-solving skills, and creativity, helping students apply STEM concepts in fun and challenging ways outside the classroom (Edu Engagement).

STEM Mentorship Programs

  • Example: The Million Women Mentors initiative connects girls and women interested in STEM with mentors from industry and academia. These mentorships provide guidance, support, and role models for aspiring young scientists and engineers.
  • Impact: Mentorship programs help build long-term interest in STEM fields by providing personalized support and showing students the potential pathways to STEM careers (Successful STEM Education).

Professional Development for STEM Teachers

  • Example: MSU St. Andrews [link: https://standrews.msu.edu/professional-development/] offers a variety of STEM/STEAM professional development programs with topics that can be applied in classrooms.
  • Impact: Professional development workshops for STEM teachers to help them incorporate scientists’ areas of research into their curricula. Summer programs and programs that offer continuing education credits (e.g., Michigan’s State Continuing Education Clock Hours), can be appealing to teachers.

Tours and Open Houses of Campus-based Facilities

  • Example: Facility for Rare Isotope Beam (FRIB) Tours are offered by appointment to ~3500 guests per year. The tour includes demonstrations, an introduction to the goals and methods of nuclear science, and a walk-through accessible research areas where nuclei are accelerated, smashed, and studied.
  • Example: FRIB Open Houses occur every 2-3 years and offer laboratory tours along with talks by researchers and hands-on demonstrations for all ages.
  • Example: Multiple informal learning venues on MSU’s campus provide learning and collaboration locations: Abrams Planetarium, Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum, Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden, MSU Bug House, MSU Museum, MSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary (see https://visitlearn.msu.edu)
  • Impact: Learners experience informal learning in environments that support exploration, learner choice, and multiple ways to engage.

Science + Performing Arts Collaborations for K-12 Audiences

  • Example: “Of Equal Place: Isotopes in Motion” is a collaboration between FRIB, Wharton Center, and Dance Exchange. The creative personnel of Dance Exchange developed a unique piece that highlights the world-leading research of FRIB through dance and audiovisual content. The vignettes expressed parts of the FRIB story such as measurement, mystery, diversity, astrophysics, and safety. Performances on the Wharton Center stage attracted nearly 4000 guests, including many who only had interests in the art or science and encouraged them to explore new concepts.

Sources:

  1. Improving STEM curriculum and instruction: Engaging students and raising standards | Successful STEM Education. (n.d.). https://www.successfulstemeducation.org/resources/improving-stem-curriculum-and-instruction-engaging-students-and-raising-standards
  2. 9 Ways to engage students in science Class | Edu Engagement. (2023, June 5). https://eduengagement.com/posts/how-to-engage-students-in-science-classes/

Improving STEM curriculum and instruction: Engaging students and raising standards | Successful STEM Education. (n.d.-b). https://www.successfulstemeducation.org/resources/improving-stem-curriculum-and-instruction-engaging-students-and-raising-standards

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