Edventure More's In Class Program: Hands On Museum Science
Edventure More’s In Class Program (ICP) ignites curiosity for science in K-5 students, maximizes museum collaborations, supports public school district initiatives, and empowers future and current teachers to incorporate hands-on learning in the classroom. Here is how we fulfill our goals:
1. We partner with world-class science museums, Exploratorium and California Academy of Sciences, in the design of hands-on, standards-aligned curriculum.
2. We employ teacher-credentialing students as our Science Instructors, building hands-on science proficiency in the next generation of educators.
3. We provide teachers and families with free extension activities (including Parent Pop Quizzes, word puzzles, museum passes, and more) to encourage science exploration beyond the school day.
About You
About You
First Name
Eva
Last Name
Vander Giessen
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Edventure More
Organization Website
Organization Phone
415.282.6673
Organization Address
1278 Indiana St, Unit 101, San Francisco
Organization Country
United States, CA, San Francisco County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, CA, San Francisco County
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Innovation
Entry Form title
Edventure More's In Class Program: Hands On Museum Science
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Edventure More’s In Class Program (ICP) ignites curiosity for science in K-5 students, maximizes museum collaborations, supports public school district initiatives, and empowers future and current teachers to incorporate hands-on learning in the classroom. Here is how we fulfill our goals:
1. We partner with world-class science museums, Exploratorium and California Academy of Sciences, in the design of hands-on, standards-aligned curriculum.
2. We employ teacher-credentialing students as our Science Instructors, building hands-on science proficiency in the next generation of educators.
3. We provide teachers and families with free extension activities (including Parent Pop Quizzes, word puzzles, museum passes, and more) to encourage science exploration beyond the school day.
What are the primary activities of your project?
Below are our primary activities, including how each activity leads to igniting curiosity for science in K-5 students, maximizing museum collaborations, supporting public school district initiatives, and empowering future and current teachers to incorporate hands-on learning in the classroom:
1. Developing Curriculum & Extension Activities
a. Action: Each Spring, Edventure More meets with California Academy of Sciences and Exploratorium to create hands-on, California state standards-aligned curriculum based on teacher requests. Each presentation includes 6 free Extension Activities to fuel student, teacher and parent engagement.
b. Result: Maximizes collaboration between museums and schools; ignites curiosity
2. Training Instructors
a. Action: Science Instructors are trained by museum partners and Edventure More on hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Science Instructors are evaluated in classrooms by teachers and Edventure More staff.
b. Result: Empowers future and current teachers
3. Leading ICP Science Presentations
a. Action: Science Instructors enthusiastically lead 1-hour hands-on science presentations like Wacky Weather, Super Sleuth, Pop Rockets and more in K-5 classrooms. We provide all prep, materials, clean up, printed and online Extension Activity materials so poorly-resourced schools have full access to museum-grade science. Presentations inspire students to pursue science exploration and teachers to incorporate hands-on science in their classrooms.
b. Result: Ignites curiosity; empowers future and current teachers; maximizes collaborations
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
More than 50% of Bay Area 5th graders are failing science proficiency standards. Half our districts reported they "do not have capacity to support science education." Roughly 80% of K-5 teachers lead less than 60 minutes of science each week. (The status of science education in the Bay Area, UC Berkeley; California. 2007)
The ICP is innovative because we connect 3 main stakeholders in science education: science museum experts; future educators and current educators; and under served families. This unique collaboration leverages the part-time expertise of museums and Science Instructors to ensure a long-term impact on students.
Currently, we are the only nonprofit partnering with the top science museums to bring hands-on, standards-aligned science to over 300 Bay Area classrooms. Several major museums provide hands-on science workshops but do not offer in-class presentations. Their curriculum is excellent – as we know first-hand! – but this can be prohibitive to teachers with limited time and no budget for training. Also, they do not include the invaluable future teacher training component of the ICP, giving the next generation of teachers expertise in hands-on science education.
Other organizations, such as Insect Discovery Lab, lack the inquiry-based approach that makes ICP presentations so impactful for children. A “show and tell” presentation, no matter how dynamic, is not as effective as experiential learning. By creating Ice Cream Baggies or Air Pressure Eggs, children learn science is synonymous with curiosity, play, discovery and confidence.
What stage is your project in?
Operating for more than 5 years
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
Since 2009, $17 billion has been cut from California education, with devastating cuts of up to 70% from science, arts and enrichment programs. Our students are starved for accessible, exciting science that will inspire them to pursue science-based careers. This is particularly true in low-income communities.
In 2009, Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education cited that science scores in our low-income communities are on par with third-world countries. “This kind of extreme inequity has enormous impact in the workforce where science-based industries are desperate for skilled workers.” (Duncan, Arne. Speech on Science Education. National Science Teachers Association Conference. March 20, 2009.)
Edventure More has proven relationships with over 300 Bay Area public school classrooms whose students are far below proficiency level, with more than 1/3 of the students on free/reduced lunch. Because roughly 20% of our students are English Language Learners, we find that our hands-on approach allows them to engage and builds learning confidence. Another interesting trend in K-5 schools is that teachers have not been trained on curiosity-based learning or science. The Extension Activities promote teacher confidence by providing free Word Puzzles, Pop Quizzes, science “recipes,” and more. The same is true for parents, who receive Give Me More sheets the day of the presentation. In total, Edventure More’s ICP will serve an estimated 7,500 K-5 kids, 300 classroom teachers, 75 public schools, and 3 future teachers.
“Blaine is a gifted educator who made science fun! My kids really GOT it! Thank you!” - Tree McIntyre-Bader, Sun Valley Elementary
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
Sharon Mor and Ed Caballero co-founded Edventure More in 2004 out of a shared commitment to playful, inquiry-based childhood learning. Ed is a San Francisco native and graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Psychology. Raised in Cupertino, Sharon is a graduate of UCLA with a degree in Sociology. Combined, Sharon and Ed have over 20 years experience working in the field of summer camps, enrichment programming, motivational tutoring, and mentoring. During this time they witnessed first-hand that kids could discover previously untapped passions and interests when they learned in a positive, upbeat and supportive environment.
Camp Edmo, a science and art summer program, was the first project launched in 2004, providing inquiry-based enrichment to pre-K–4th grade youth. When teachers heard about the unique combination of hands-on arts and science, they requested Ed and Sharon visit their classrooms. This was the start of the ICP, which grew from just a handful of classrooms in 2005 to 400 classrooms in 2011.
Despite the growth of the organization, both Ed and Sharon remain involved in core aspects of programming. Ed still personally tests and approves every Science, Art and Technology activity. Sharon still spearheads staff training and development programs. Edventure More continues to partner with leaders in the field of childhood enrichment to inspire the next generation of scientists, artists and educators.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
At a time when school enrichment budgets are eliminated and many museums and nonprofits are withdrawing programs from schools, the ICP has expanded into 28 districts around the Bay Area serving over 7,000 kids annually. 99% of teachers surveyed in 2010-2011 felt the ICP science presentation was a valuable addition to their curriculum and requested our return. 80% of these teachers would not have otherwise had hands-on science in their classroom. Past grants from the Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund, Amgen Foundation and Cisco Foundation revealed strong support from the philanthropic community. Additionally, Edventure More was voted Bay Area Parent Magazine’s Most Inspiring Enrichment Program 3 years in a row and featured in Comcast’s "In Good Company" series (2008), as a local organization positively impacting its community in an innovative way.
Our metrics have evolved since 2004 to include printed surveys the day of the presentation, follow up comprehension tests 6 months afterward, 50+ hours of training with museum partners and Edventure More staff, and integration of the 21st Century Skills framework into curriculum. Because our ICP is refined each year based on teacher feedback and museum partner's latest educational findings, we ensure public school children will get the world class hands-on science enrichment they deserve. Please see the “Accountability” section for a detailed description of how we measure success towards our goals.
How many people have been impacted by your project?
1,001- 10,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
More than 10,000
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
First, we will formerly establish partnerships with Bay Area university teaching credentialing programs. This will continue giving graduate students invaluable hands-on science training, creatively reduce staffing costs by converting Science Instructors to paid internship positions, equip teacher credentialing programs with a wealth of hands-on science resources, and broaden mentor-mentee teacher relationships. We are speaking with SFSU about piloting this project in the near future.
Secondly, we will expand our museum partnerships. Currently, Edventure More collaborates with Exploratorium on both our ICP and summer programs. We collaborate with California Academy of Sciences on our summer programs only. However, the interest exists to increase this partnership to include the ICP.
Sustainability
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
Barrier: Cost. Public schools can no longer afford the cost of ICP science presentations due to budget cuts of up to 70%. (Current cost of ICP is $175.)
Solution: Edventure More interviewed staff at target schools from 2009-2011 to find a functional price point of $50 for 250 classrooms, and no cost options for the remaining 50 most in-need classrooms (based on % of students on free/reduced lunch and lowest API scores). To subsidize the cost, we have a diverse stream of income generated by foundation grants, fee-based private school presentations, fee-based library presentations, and competitions such as Ashoka Changemakers.
Barrier: Time line. In order to train ICP Science Instructors, we start hiring in September 2011. However, several potential funders will not have funding decisions until late fall/early winter.
Solution: Last year our Program Manager position also served as an additional Science Instructor due to a boost in bookings. We are proud to re-hire Melissa Birdwell-Marchi in this dual position, which she excelled at last year. We already have letters of interest from our seasonal summer program staff for 2 additional Instructors positions. Once funding is secured, we will hire these Instructors – all of whom already have been trained on 50% of the presentations. Most ICP science presentations are traditionally booked for dates after December.
Tell us about your partnerships
One of Edventure More’s greatest strengths is our partnerships, which is why the Ashoka Changemakers “Partnerships for Excellence” theme resonated so strongly with our team.
Museum Partners
For 8 years now, we have collaborated with Exploratorium, California Academy of Sciences, Museum of Children’s Art and Zeum to create hands-on curriculum that ignites curiosity in our summer programs. Until this year, the ICP has been a partnership with Exploratorium only to focus on STEM subjects hardest hit by budget cuts. We are talking with California Academy of Sciences to include the ICP in our future partnership, especially to offer more environmental education presentations per teacher requests.
Public School Partners
The ICP was created in 2004 by a handful of teachers demanding Ed and Sharon bring their playful summer science activities to classrooms. Today, Edventure More partners with 28 Bay Area school districts and over 300 public school classrooms each year. We provide teachers with free quarterly newsletters featuring science recipes, reading lists, and community resources. Our Program Manager contacts public school teachers each September to begin scheduling, and teachers book ICP presentations using an online Google Form. Please see "How Partnership Was Formed" section for further details.
“Great! Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and very effective. I had a great time watching and learning.” – Anna Gin, Denman Elementary
“My students thoroughly enjoyed this activity! We were able to invite Edmo here to our school because of the discounted rate. We hope that offer will continue to benefit all our low income children.” – Yvon Wu, Spring Valley Elementary
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$10,001‐50,000
Explain your selections
10% of our budget comes from full-paying ICPs from private schools, libraries and community events.
28% of our budget comes from reduced-cost ICPs from public schools.
62% of our budget comes from private, corporate or family foundations.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
The ICE Program is made sustainable because of its collaborative nature. Four major institutions provide either financial or in-kind support: Edventure More, 4 museum partners, 28 school districts, and grant makers such as Ashoka Changemakers.
To ensure ongoing strength, Edventure More continues to generate diverse streams of income and look for in-kind opportunities to offset costs. Exploratorium and soon California Academy of Sciences generate seed ideas for ICP presentations and provide free museum passes. An average of 25 private school and library classes annually pay the full fee for ICP presentations, which offsets staffing and material costs. Finally, grant makers like Ashoka Changemakers allow low-resourced classrooms to access this unique program for a reduced fee.
Each year results in further investment from our partners. Exploratorium committed additional resources for the Science Challenge and grantmakers such as Amgen Foundation, Cisco Foundation and Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund supplied funding for low-income communities. This growth in support is an indicator of the necessity of the ICP and a commitment to its future. Although we would be able to sustain the ICP without external financial support, we would not be able to offer low-income communities affordable science presentations. Our plans to partner with university teacher credentialing programs strengthen our financial position. In the meantime, public schools require the support of each of our partners.
Partnerships and Accountability
Please tell us more about how your partnership was formed and how it functions. What specific role does each partner play? What unique resources does each partner bring to the initiative?
Our partnerships with the Bay Area’s top four museums started in 2004 when Edventure More was founded. Ed and Sharon led a summer program based on integrating science and art to build curiosity, confidence and kindness. That fall, they spoke with friends at Exploratorium and California Academy of Sciences and the idea to collaborate on curriculum was born. It has now grown to each Instructor going through 50 hours of training, much of it on-site with museum educators. This gives us a unique advantage, as museum educators already come with a blend of science expertise AND inquiry-based learning techniques. This combination is more potent than a scientist alone could offer, as it guarantees field expertise and the learning wisdom that is essential for training current and future teachers.
Roles & Resources
Ed and our part-time curriculum developer meet with each museum partner in the spring to refine activities based on previous year’s ICP teacher surveys, summer program parents surveys, and changes in state standards. Over 8 years, we have developed 45 unique science, art, and technology activities based on inquiry-based learning and state standards. For our ICP, we offer a “menu” of 3 activities per grade level, which teachers select according to the needs of their classroom. Each activity has 6 related Extension Activities, including Word Puzzles, Parent Pop Quizzes, reading lists, and online science experiment challenges. All activities use household items so families from any socio-economic background can fully participate. For classrooms that complete their Extension Activities, Exploratorium awards them free museum passes for family use. In this way, kids’ curiosity is ignited in class, at home, and at the museum.
How are you building in accountability for students' successful STEM learning outcomes? Please provide a summary and examples.
Our accountability metrics have evolved over the last 8 years to include Edventure More and school responsibilities. Below is an overview of SMART objectives and measures to meet each of our goals.
Goal: Ignite curiosity for science in K-5 students
Measure (NEW): Students complete comprehension test 6 months after their first ICP science presentation. Test includes 9 multiple choice and 1 open-ended question correlating to science concepts learned. Teachers record poor/good/excellent in a Google Form then class receives secret science recipe reward for completing form. (EXISTING) Students and teachers complete a 7-question printed survey the day of the presentation, which is delivered to the Science Instructor. Questions address value of science curriculum to class priorities, classroom management skills, enthusiasm of Instructor, grade-appropriateness and accessibility of presentation, usefulness of Extension Activities for ongoing engagement, and requests for future concepts/standards to cover. 99% of teachers have indicated the value, relevancy and rarity of the ICP and requested our return.
Goal: Maximize museum collaborations
Measure: Refine/design hands-on, standards-aligned science activities in partnership with Exporatorium and California Academy of Sciences. Each grade has 3-5 available presentations based on teacher requests received the previous year, plus 3 Extension Activities per presentation.
Goal: Support public school district initiatives
Measure: Integrate 21st Century Learning & Innovation Skills into curriculum, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Each project involves team work (communication and collaboration), art or design (creativity), and inquiry-based problem solving (critical thinking).
Goal: Empower future and current teachers
Measure: Empower future teachers through hands-on training with museum partners, 21st Century Skills training with Edventure More, and in-class evaluations through classroom teacher observations. Train classroom teachers through hands-on modeling by Science Instructors, Extension Activities free resources, and connection to museum offerings.
“Casey was fantastic. I've never seen someone other than a classroom teacher do a better job. Great behaviour management. She really knows the subject.” – Mrs. Faldt, Camino Pablo Elementary
Needs
Investment, Human Resources/Talent, Marketing/Media, Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.).
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add needs that may not be listed.
We are also interested in sharing office or storage space with other San Francisco-based organizations.
Human Resources/Talent is particularly desired when it comes to partnerships with local university teacher credentialing programs.
Thank you!
Offers
Human Resources/Talent, Research/Information, Collaboration/Networking, Innovation/Ideas, Mentorship.
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