We recently sat down with Becky Tapley to talk about the release of ACRES coaching materials. Becky is a STEM Education Specialist at MMSA and has worked as an ACRES coach for more than four years. She also worked with ACRES coaches around the country as they adapted ACRES to their own unique contexts.
First off, what is ACRES, and why this is an exciting time for the project?
ACRES – or Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM – is a nationally acclaimed coaching program that builds knowledge and skills so afterschool educators, librarians and anyone who works with youth in out-of-school settings can confidently facilitate STEM experiences. The program has been growing for over nine years, and we’re excited to release our coaching materials to the afterschool world, free to use and adapt. The vetted resources are now fully available for educators to use to become an ACRES coach and train other afterschool professionals.
Can you tell us more about these free resources that ACRES is sharing and who they are for?
ACRES is sharing the materials that we have used to coach educators in STEM facilitation skills so that additional educators can become coaches and continue the ACRES model into the future.
We have a wide variety of resources. If people are new to ACRES, they can dig into materials that orient them to the structure and approach of the ACRES model. They can watch video clips of sessions to see ACRES in action. If educators are familiar with ACRES, they can go directly to the coach guides that walk them through each of our seven modules. We also have materials that allow people to dig a little deeper into coaching techniques and even a Coach-the-Coach guide to support leaders in training multiple ACRES coaches. There’s something for everyone!
What’s the catch? Is it really free?
We promise there isn’t a catch. We have been generously funded by the National Science Foundation, STEM Next Opportunity Fund, and the Noyce Foundation. The funding supported the development, vetting, and refinement of the materials.
In fact, once coaches have a feel for the materials and are ready to coach, they are welcome to charge for their ACRES sessions to compensate them for their time. Or, this could become a key part of the training in their afterschool or out-of-school program.
How does someone get started?
I first encourage anyone interested to explore the website. Read through materials, watch sample videos, and get a feel for what’s available.
Then, I encourage them to sign up for our free informational sessions, taking place each month this spring. ACRES coaches will be present to answer questions and help new and current ACRES coaches understand what to expect and how to navigate the new website.
How do you actually become an ACRES coach?
Previously, we led new-to-ACRES educators through 10 hours of training. Our process is shared in the Coach the Coaches Guide on the website.
I encourage individuals interested in becoming a coach to set aside a similar amount of time, spread over at least a few weeks, to really dig into the materials available. I recommend exploring the “Start Here” materials to begin.
The ACRES team is available to answer questions, so bring those to the free informational sessions and connect with others who are embarking on this journey as well. There’s no official certification – you’ll know when you have reached your own comfort level in sharing these ideas with other educators.
