This week the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance’s Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM Project (ACRES) won two national awards for a 3-minute video showing their online work in virtual coaching for afterschool providers.
“2020 STEM for ALL” is a national video showcase featuring 171 short videos of cutting-edge STEM education programs funded by the National Science Foundation and other federal funders. This year MMSA submitted a 3-minute video of their work providing virtual coaching to afterschool providers across the country using the Zoom online platform to advance STEM learning. The video generated a great deal of interest and won awards in two of the three categories: Presenters’ Choice and Facilitators’ Choice. (Read more link in newsletter)
ACRES is a 3-year project that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in virtual professional development for informal STEM educators, particularly those in rural settings who often have limited access to high-quality PD without the burden of significant travel. The project focuses on afterschool educators and library staff in particular, two types of informal STEM professionals who are ubiquitous in communities across the country, and who are increasingly taking on STEM facilitation roles with youth.
The ACRES program has been using zoom for several years to connect and support afterschool providers, highlighting methods to make professional learning online fun and interactive. The skills related to virtual learning environments the project focused on are now in high demand given the emergence of the pandemic and the current remote learning situation.
A big goal with the video is to spread the word about the project and our work and to discuss the work of others. Our beautiful and informative video highlights the excellent work being done on the ACRES project. We are so proud of everyone who worked on this project and honored to receive these awards.
