March 20, 2019

News Release

For Immediate Release

EDITOR'S NOTE: Members of the media may contact Rutgers 4‑H Youth Development by phone at 848-932-3597 or by email at nj4h@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Science and Engineering Workshops Available for Afterschool Program Staff

Rutgers 4‑H Youth Development has extensive experience in Design It! and Explore It! projects and is ready to train and equip afterschool organizations to bring this fun, engaging, and inquiry-based STEM program to children at their sites. By enrolling in a Design It! (engineering) or Explore It! (science) training program, afterschool organizations will receive all of the professional development (three full-day training workshops), curriculum guides, materials kits, and ongoing support needed to implement year-round STEM programming.

These comprehensive and high-quality programs were developed by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in Boston and the National Partnerships for After School Science (NPASS) through the support of the National Science Foundation. Rutgers 4‑H leads the NPASS project in New Jersey.

The Design It! Afterschool Program offers six engineering projects and the Explore It! Afterschool Program includes six science projects.

  • Design It! topics include Balls and Tracks, Gliders, Paper Bridges, Rubber Band-Powered Cars, Stomp Rockets and Trebuchets. During afterschool programs, youth work in teams to design their project, test it and make adjustments.
  • Explore It! topics include Cake Chemistry, Heating a House and an Oven, Measuring Ourselves, Sinking and Floating, Siphon Systems and Wiring a House. During these projects, youth work in teams to explore familiar phenomena using simple materials to foster science learning.

Each workshop series includes the professional development workshops (October, January and March), curriculum guides, and materials kits needed to implement engineering and science projects throughout the year in an afterschool or out-of-school setting. In addition, Rutgers 4‑H will provide ongoing support and technical assistance to school and community based afterschool organizations who register for the workshop series.

Enrollment is now open for the 2019-2020 school year. Online enrollment is due June 15, 2019. For information on enrollment packages visit the Design It! and Explore It! Afterschool Training Program website at https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/stem-training/. For questions regarding the program or enrollment, contact Chad Ripberger, Rutgers 4‑H, ripberger@njaes.rutgers.edu or 609-989-6830.

The 4‑H Youth Development Program is part of Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension, 4‑H educational programs are offered to all youth, grades K-13, on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, domestic partnership status, military service, veteran status, and any other category protected by law. Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations.

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Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Boards of County Commissioners. Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, is an qual opportunity program provider and employer.

Rutgers New Jersey 4-H Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station