Now enrolling afterschool sites for the 2013-2014 school year.
Enrollment form and payment due June 7, 2013.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development and the New Jersey School-Age Care Coalition (NJSACC), The Network for New Jersey's Afterschool Communities, are proud to offer Explore It!, an engaging, inquiry based, and fun STEM program designed specifically for afterschool. This comprehensive and high-quality program was developed by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in Boston and the National Partnerships for After School Science (NPASS) through support of the National Science Foundation.
Rutgers 4-H and NJSACC will provide the following to school and community based afterschool organizations who enroll by June 7.
- materials kits
- curricula guides
- professional development
- ongoing support
This is a full-year program that includes six science projects. Each of the six projects lasts approximately one month, with youth meeting in their "Science Explorers" club once a week for the duration of the program. Selected Explore It! projects for 2013-2014 include – Cake Chemistry, Heating a House and an Oven, Measuring Ourselves, Sinking and Floating, Siphon Systems, and Wiring a House. Youth work in teams to explore familiar phenomena in an extended manner using simple materials to foster science learning.
Cake Chemistry
What are the ingredients in a recipe that cause a cake to rise? Is the same gas produced when using baking powder, baking soda, or yeast? These are questions youth pursue in this exploration while, at the same time, they get to eat their experiments and gain some sense of the chemical properties of materials.
Heating a House and an Oven
By finding different ways to insulate a cardboard “house” warmed by just one 40W light bulb, youth explore the difference between the ideas of heat and temperature. Then, using a 100W bulb, they turn the house into an “oven” that can bake cookies at 300° F.
Measuring Ourselves
Youth measure their own bodies in a variety of ways to learn more about their basic physical make-up and to observe both the consistency and variation of body shape, size, and strength among their peers.
Siphon Systems
Using an arrangement of plastic tubing and a special connector, youth transform a soda bottle into an interesting device for exploring how water flows through a closed or open system. Connecting multiples of these special bottles adds to the challenge of analyzing what happens with the air and water pressure in these systems.
Sinking and Floating
Youth explore the buoyancy of common objects and make boats from a variety of materials, gaining a sense of the relative contribution of the material and its shape
in determining whether it will sink or float. They repeat their experiments with salt water and other solutions to see how the type of liquid makes a difference in how
things float.
Wiring a House
Youth discover some of the principles of practical wiring and electrical circuitry by installing lights and switches in the rooms of a cardboard house. They follow electrical “pathways” within their circuits to explain why some light bulbs shine brightly while others are dim.
Enrollment Options
Full Package (Six Project Pack)
$1,800 (October, 2013 – June, 2014) – Cake Chemistry, Heating a House and an Oven, Measuring Ourselves, Sinking and Floating, Siphon Systems, and Wiring a House
- A set of six materials kits (one kit for each of the six Explore It! projects selected for 2013-2014 – providing enough materials for 20 youth to fully participate in each of the six projects). Complete materials kits aren't available from any other source and are being ordered and assembled in bulk as part of this project to reduce costs.
- A set of curriculum guides (55-70 page guide for each of the six Explore It! projects) for each of up to three staff from your organization in attendance at the full-day workshops.
- Three full-day workshops for up to three staff from your afterschool program. Two of the Explore It! projects will be introduced at each of the three trainings – October, January, and March. Locations will be determined and announced after enrollment, as we want the workshops to be centralized and convenient for the participating sites. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.
- Ongoing technical support from Rutgers and NJSACC throughout program implementation (through June).
Optional Supplements to Full Package
$150 for each additional staff to attend the three full-day workshops and receive curriculum guides (three staff from your organization are included in the Full Package – this option is for sending additional staff beyond three).
$500 for each additional set of six materials kits (enough materials for 20 youth to fully participate in each of the six projects). This option is intended to support afterschool and youth organizations with multiple sites. An organization must purchase one Full Package to be able to add additional kits for additional sites at $500 each.
Partial Package (Four Project Pack)
$1,350 (October, 2013 – March, 2014) – Cake Chemistry, Heating a House and an Oven, Measuring Ourselves, and Sinking and Floating.
- A set of four materials kits (one for each of four Explore It! projects – providing enough materials for 20 youth participants to fully participate in each of four projects. Complete materials kits aren't available from any other source and are being ordered and assembled in bulk as part of this project to reduce costs.
- A set of curriculum guides (55-70 page guide for each of four Explore It! projects) for each of up to three staff from your afterschool program in attendance at the full-day workshops.
- Two full-day workshops for up to three staff from your afterschool program. Two of the Explore It! projects will be introduced at each of the trainings – October and January. This package does NOT include the March workshop (Siphon Systems and Wiring a Houses). Locations will be determined and announced after enrollment, as we want the workshops to be centralized and convenient for the participating sites. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.
- Ongoing technical support from Rutgers and NJSACC throughout program implementation (through March).
Optional Supplements to Partial Package
$100 for each additional staff to attend the October and January full-day workshops and receive curriculum guides (three staff for your organization are included in the Partial Package – this option is for sending additional staff beyond three).
$350 for each additional set of four materials kits (enough materials for 20 youth to fully participate in each of four projects, does NOT include Siphon Systems and Wiring a House). This option is intended to support afterschool organizations with multiple sites. An organization must purchase one Partial Package to be able to add additional kits for additional sites at $350 each.
More Information
"This is one of the best PD workshops I've attended. Great hands-on activities, helpful tips, and skilled trainers who model the activities for us. And my students loved it!"
– New Jersey 21st Century Community Learning Center Director
Partnering Agencies
