For more than four years now, Pacific Science Center has worked with several organizations to bring Informal Science education to the Latino communities of the Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities area of Washington state. Now, thanks to a National Science Foundation grant we're taking this work to a whole new level.
The program is called Acceso a la Ciencia: Haciendo la Ciencia Accesible para los Padres y de los Ninos Latinos en Comunidades Rurales / Access Science: Making Science Accessible for Latino Parents and Children in Rural Communities (Acceso a la Ciencia / Access Science). It's a partnership between Pacific Science Center, →Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement), →Washington State University Tri-Cities and public radio station →KDNA. The purpose is to connect parents and children through fun, community science education activities. Each activity connects topics of interest to rural Latinos to concepts being taught in the schools, while also providing tools and support to parents that increase their awareness of opportunities for their children.
Pacific Science Center has been presenting science displays and assemblies to community fairs and similar events for some time. We will now develop new exhibits and assemblies to be presented to Latino families at local fairs, festivals, work areas, and shopping centers. In addition, our educators will train local teens to make the presentations in their communities.
Under this unique program, the MESA organization will recruit and support the young educators, Radio KDNA will promote it heavily, and WSU/Pullman will provide research and evaluation.
All exhibits and materials will be housed in the Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities area for use year-round.
The goals of this four-year program are to:
- Create a sustainable informal science infrastructure.
- Increase parental awareness, support and involvement in science education.
- Increase the numbers of rural Latino youth pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate studies.
- Two mobile exhibits, beginning with one focused on agricultural and environmental science.
- Curriculum and training in agriculture, life sciences and facilitating learning.
- Curriculum and training for community members to provide support to parents in encouraging the academic aspirations of their children.
- Training for youth and parents to interpret exhibits and run workshops, community festivals, family science workshops and Saturday programs.
- Four annual community festivals, quarterly Family Saturday events, and Family Science Workshops.
- Materials to support these initiatives including take home activities, science assemblies, a website and CDs.
- Monthly one hour call-in radio programs featuring science experts, students and parents.
- 60-second public service announcements promoting science concepts.