Abstract
This chapter provides a roadmap for any who are inspired to start a teen science café program as a member of the teen science café network. These out-of-school programs are a free, fun way for teens to explore the advances in science and technology affecting their lives. Teens and scientists engage in lively conversations and activities to explore a topic deeply. Teens get increased understanding of the nature of science and develop a realistic perception of scientists, science careers, and the lives they lead. Scientists gain skills in communicating science to the public and inspire youth to STEM careers. Adult leaders serve as guides for the teen leaders and are the linchpin of the program. Evaluation shows programs positively influenced teens understanding of science issues in the news, the ability to use facts to support scientific points of view and considering multiple sides of an issue before making a decision.
TopBackground
The teen science café model was constructed on programmatic answers to a series of key questions, then validated via rigorous evaluation.
The following questions guided the development of the teen science café program:
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How to make science engaging and accessible to more youth?
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How to help them see science and technology research and discoveries as relevant to their daily lives?
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How to develop a positive culture around thinking scientifically and maybe even pursuing STEM careers?
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How to prepare science and technology professionals to effectively engage youth in their research and discoveries through discussion and other activities?
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How to build a program that will be professionally rewarding to the scientist participants?
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If it is built, will the scientists and youth come?
Answers to the questions became key objectives in the program development and led to the following goals for the Cafe´ implementation. Teens will develop:
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an informal community that engages in scientific discourse, thought, and exploration;
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a deep and nuanced understanding of current issues in science and technology and be able to communicate that understanding confidently and expertly;
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skills and attitudes for lifelong learning and an appreciation of science as a career and as a way of thinking.
The program summative evaluation results (Hall et al., 2010; Foutz and Luke, 2010) indicates that the program was largely successful in achieving these goals.
TopImpact On Teens
The following two questions guided the teen impact evaluation:
Key Terms in this Chapter
Teen Leadership: Is the practice of teens exercising authority over themselves or others. Youth leadership has been elaborated upon as a theory of youth development in which young people gain skills and knowledge necessary to lead civic engagement, education reform and community organizing activities.
Teen: The years of a person's age from 13 to 19.
Informal Learning: Informal learning is unstructured and takes place away from formal learning settings.
Café Scientifique: Café Scientifique is a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Meetings take place in cafes, bars, restaurants and even theatres, but always outside a traditional academic context.
Evaluation: Is a process that critically examines a program. It involves collecting and analyzing information about a program's activities, characteristics, and outcomes. Its purpose is to make judgments about a program, to improve its effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions.
Workforce Development: Trains individuals to be more productive and prosperous in the workplace, which benefits both the employer and the worker.
Science Communication (SciCom): May be defined as the use of appropriate skills, media, activities, and dialogue to produce one or more of the following personal responses.
Science: The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
Self-Efficacy: Refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.