California
State of the 4-H SET/STEM Initiative
December 1, 2015
Steven Worker, Martin Smith,
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, Andrea Ambrose,
Kelley Brian, Emily Schoenfelder
Take Home Points
• Improving young people’s scientific literacy
continues to be a critical goal for the nation
and for ANR.
• ANR and 4-H support efforts to improve young
people’s scientific literacy.
• The California 4-H SET Initiative continues
strong and will transition to “STEM.”
Improving young people’s
scientific literacy continues to be
a critical goal for the nation and
for ANR.
The Field of Youth STEM Education
• New Standards
– Next Generation Science Standards
• New Research
– National Research Council. (2015).
Identifying and supporting productive
STEM programs in out-of-school
settings. Download PDF.
– Special issue of the Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, 51(3)
on science learning in everyday life.
Link here.
The need for scientific literacy
• For economic prosperity and national security
• For a functioning democracy
• As preparation for life and work
ANR Perspective
• ANR’s Strategic Vision 2025 highlights the
importance of science-based information as a
cornerstone in both personal decision-making
and public policy.
• The improvement of scientific literacy among
the public is a joint, collaborative
responsibility shared by multiple ANR
initiative groups.
ANR and 4-H support efforts to
improve young people’s
scientific literacy.
Science Literacy Program Team
• UC ANR (and other) professionals who meet
to collaborate and discuss emerging topics in
youth science education and the direction of
4-H science programs.
• Active subgroups on:
– Professional development (Martin Smith and Lynn
Schmitt-McQuitty)
– Environmental education (Emily Schoenfelder)
Defining Scientific Literacy
4-H science education helps youth:
• See science as a powerful tool to
make sense of and construct
knowledge about the world;
• Address and think about issues in
their lives that involve STEM
• Connect learning with real-world
situations.
• It is not our intent to only prepare
future scientists.
Science
Content
Contribution
through
Applied
Participation
Youth Scientific
Literacy in
California 4-H
Interest and
Attitudes
Scientific
Reasoning
Skills
2014 Science Needs Assessment
• Assessed 39 4-H staff capacities, challenges, gaps,
opportunities, and interests.
• Found support and buy-in regarding the 4-H SET
Initiative, its positive outcomes and impacts, with
evidence of 4-H SET becoming institutionalized
throughout California 4-H.
• Recommendation: Build 4-H professional and
volunteer educator capacity and the organizational
capacity for 4-H SET programming
The California 4-H SET Initiative
continues strong!
(and will transition to “STEM”)
Timeline of the
4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) Initiative
2007
National Youth
Science Days
Steering
committee
outlines SET
goals
SET Leadership
Team formed
with
M. Smith, L.
SchmittMcQuitty, R.
Mahacek, S.
Junge
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Rockets to the
Rescue
Motion
Commotion
Revised 4-H SET
Checklist
released
Publication of
“Anchor Points”
of scientific
literacy paper
Helpful
Hydrogels
Biofuel Blast
4-H2O
Wired for Wind
Eco Bot
Maps & Apps
National 4-H SET
Initiative
Launched
4-H SET
Coordinator
Hired (S. Worker)
Revised SET Planof-Action
circulated
California
4-H SET Initiative
Launched
Concurrent 4-H
SET Winter
Workshops Held
National
renames to “4-H
Science”,
California stays
SET
California hosts
the Western
Region
4-H Science
Academy
California
presents at the
National 4-H
Science EAcademy
Staff SET Kick-Off
Conference Held
41 counties form
SET plan
UC ANR Strategic
Vision 2025
released
Concurrent 4-H
SET Winter
Workshops Held
Tools of the
Trade II
published
Nine counties
receive $32,000
in start-up SET
funding
Concurrent 4-H
SET Winter
Workshops Held
SET Team
publishes 8
promising
practice pieces
4-H Engineering
Showcase held at
State 4-H Field
Day
Conducted
statewide
assessment of
needs in 4-H SET
Efforts around
individual and
organizational
capacity building
(funded by
Bechtel)
Renaming efforts to “4-H STEM”
• Better alignment with K-12 education.
• Improved recognition with funders and policymakers.
• Move away from “SET”, which has no recognition
value outside of the 4-H organization.
• Feel free to continue to use “SET” if it resonates with
your clientele.
An Initiative, not a Program
4-H STEM is an Initiative rather than a
specific program or curriculum.
• Given the diversity of California's
communities, the real need is a shared
statewide vision rather than a specific
curriculum.
The 4-H STEM Leadership Team
• Andrea Ambrose, Acting Director, Development Services
• Kelley Brian, 4-H Youth Development Advisor, Placer and
Nevada Counties
• Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, 4-H Youth Development Advisor, San
Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, County Director
San Benito County
• Emily Schoenfelder, 4-H Youth Development Advisor, Colusa,
Sutter, and Yuba Counties
• Martin Smith, Associate Specialist in Cooperative Extension
• Steven Worker, 4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology
Coordinator
Statewide Resources
• Programs guided by the 4-H STEM Checklist.
• Promising practice briefs on topics including
experiential learning and evaluation.
• New Science or Engineering Presentation
category in the 4-H Presentation Manual.
• Archived presentation and publications.
Recognizing 4-H STEM programs
We are grateful that you all have worked so hard to
advance STEM education in your counties and infuse
science into your programming.
We’d love to hear more about what you’re doing or
how we can help, so feel free to shoot us an email.
Shout-Outs
San Mateo & Orange Counties
4-H Connecting Youth to Nature
San Benito County
4-H Mentoring
.
Tech Wizards
.
Shout-Outs
Solano County 4-H SET Project
Teens say “Yes” to Science
Imperial County
4-H Sustainable You!
.
Summer Camp
.
Shout-Outs
San Luis Obispo County - SLO Scientists
Merced County
4-H Summer
.
Science Academy
.
Shout-Outs
Siskiyou County – Veterinary Science
Marin County
National Youth
.
Science Day @
.
Autodesk
..
Shout-Outs
Sacramento County – On the Wild Side
Environmental Camp
San Mateo County
Elkus Ranch
.
Environmental Ed
.
& Agriculture
..
Shout-Outs
San Diego County – Science in the Garden
Sutter-Yuba Counties
Junk Drawer
.
Robotics in
.
afterschool
..
Shout-Outs
Orange County – IMAGINE Science
Partnership between 4-H, B&G
Clubs, YMCA, and Girls Inc
Butte & Monterey Counties
TechXcite
.
in afterschool
..
Shout-Outs
Monterey, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo,
Orange, and others!
4-H Citizen Science
Using the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Nature
Detectives and Bird Quest or Habitat
Connections curriculum
Shout-Outs
4-H Camping Committee – Curriculum Units
Astronomy Adventures
Cooking Over Campfires Shelter Building
Hot Air Balloons
Crossing the Water
First Aid
Fire Building
Dutch Oven Cooking
Discovery Hikes
Compass Adventures
Recognizing 4-H STEM research
We are also grateful for all of the evaluation and
research conducted around STEM education!
Shout-Outs
Defining Scientific Literacy
• Smith, M.H., Worker, S., Ambrose, A., Schmitt-McQuitty, L. (2015).
Including civic engagement as a component of scientific literacy. Science
Education & Civic Engagement: An International Journal, 7(2), 23-27.
• Smith, M.H., Worker, S.M., Ambrose, A.P., & Schmitt-McQuitty, L. (2015).
Scientific literacy: California 4-H defines it from citizens’ perspective.
California Agriculture, 69(2), 92-97.
• Worker, S.M. (2013). Embracing scientific and engineering practices in 4-H.
Journal of Extension, 51(3).
Shout-Outs
Professional Development in Science Education
• Worker, S.M., & Smith, M.H. (2014). Curriculum and professional
development for OST science education. Afterschool Matters, Fall 2014,
21-27.
• Smith, M.H., & Schmitt-McQuitty, L. (2013). More effective professional
development can help 4-H volunteers address need for youth scientific
literacy. California Agriculture, 67(1), 54-61.
• Smith, M. (2013). Findings show lesson study can be an effective model for
professional development of 4-H volunteers. California Agriculture, 67(1),
54-61.
• Schmitt-McQuitty, L., & Smith, M.H. (2011). Moving beyond the
demonstration model: The importance of experiential learning in the 4-H
youth development program. In Advances in youth development: Research
and evaluation from the University of California CE 2001-2010.
Shout-Outs
Capacity Building
• Schmitt-McQuitty, L., Carlos, R., & Smith, M.H. (2014). Learnings and
recommendations to advance 4-H science readiness. Journal of Extension,
52(4).
Evaluating Science Programs
• Lewis, K.M., & Worker, S.M. (2015). Examination of attitude and interest
measures for 4-H science evaluation. Journal of Extension, 53(3).
• Worker, S. et al. (2014). Cumulative 5-year final report of the 2009-2014
California 4-H sustainable communities project. California State 4-H Office.
Impacts of 4-H STEM on Youth
• Heck, K., Carlos, R., Barnett, C., & Smith. (2012). 4-H participation and
science interest in youth. Journal of Extension, 50(2).
Shout-Outs
Curriculum Reports
• Sallee, J., Schmitt-McQuitty, L., Swint, S., Meek, A., Ybarra, G., Dalton, R.
(2015). TechXcite: Discover engineering – A new STEM curriculum. Journal
of Extension, 53(2). Article 3TOT5. Retrieved from
• Worker, S.M., Mahacek, R.L., Wheeler, T.D.M., & Frerichs, S.W. (2015).
Engineering for everyone: 4-H’s Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum. In C.
Sneider (Ed.), The Go-To Guide for Engineering Curricula PreK-5 (Ch. 13, pp.
191-202). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
• Smith, M.H., Heck, K., & Worker, S. (2012). 4-H boosts youth scientific
literacy with ANR water education curriculum. California Agriculture,
66(4), 158-163.
• Mahacek, R., & Worker, S. (2011). Extending science education with
engineering and technology: Junk Drawer Robotics. In Advances in youth
development: Research and evaluation from the University of California CE
2001-2010.
Thank you!
Science is a way of thinking much
more than it is a body of knowledge.
Carl Sagan