Strategies for Scaling Science Programming through Libraries to Engage Early to Life-Long Learners

Join the National Girls Collaborative and SciStarter to learn about two nationally recognized science programs, Leap into Science (leap.fi.edu) and Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science (scistarter.org/library-network), and the strategies that have enabled these programs to successfully scale to hundreds of libraries across 25 states.

Since 2017, The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) has supported the nationally recognized science and literacy program Leap into Science, developed by the Franklin Institute. The curriculum intentionally incorporates children’s books with hands-on STEM activities and is supported by the Core Four strategies which help children build critical thinking and literacy skills through creativity. Through a robust network of train-the-trainers, hundreds of libraries have been trained and provided with materials to lead science and literacy programming for children and families.

Also in 2017, a team from Arizona State University and SciStarter, an organization featuring an online database of thousands of citizen science projects, started working with a small group of public libraries in the Phoenix area to facilitate the introduction and sustainability of self-contained citizen science project kits for check-out and use by library patrons. In 2019, the project expanded to other libraries in Arizona, and now, with the help of NGCP, the program is scaling to support libraries and community partners nationwide.

In this session, you’ll hear about lessons learned from these models and gain access to turn-key training materials, programming resources, and a network of librarians dedicated to broadening participating in science from early learners to older adults.