Request for Proposals: BoSTEM’s 2015-16 Expanded STEM Learning Program Cohort
Proposal deadline: July 17, 2015
Project period: September 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, with potential for renewal through June 30, 2017
BoSTEM, with the support from Noyce Foundation, is pleased to announce this request for proposals to implement
the FUSE approach to delivering hands-on STEM learning experiences to Boston middle school students. BoSTEM is
aligned with Boston Learns Together, the Mayor’s agenda to expand the classroom to all corners of the city.
BoSTEM
BoSTEM is a collaboration led by Boston After School & Beyond (BASB), Citizen Schools, and the United Way of
Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley with the bold goal of closing the STEM inspiration and achievement gap
for all Boston middle school students by the year 2020. In order to create more access to meaningful STEM
experiences, BoSTEM invests in the infrastructure that connects students to all of the places where they learn-home, school, summer and afterschool programs, museums and libraries, higher education institutions, and
businesses.
The FUSE Approach
The FUSE approach to expanded STEM learning during the school year is one that integrates formal and informal
settings, as well as rigorous science & engineering practices and social-emotional learning. By supporting STEM
curricula and programs that span the classroom and the world beyond school, BoSTEM aims to boost Boston middle
schoolers’ interest in the STEM fields. Additionally, the FUSE approach is grounded in science curriculum standards
and strong youth development practices, and is co-facilitated by certified teachers and community educators.
The ideal FUSE program is one in which the STEM concepts that students learn in the classroom consistently come
to life in the real world-- whether at a nature preserve, community garden, museum, research lab, or robotics
competition-- and those hands-on experiences are vital components of the school’s regular science or math
curriculum. Whether field experiences occur during or after the school day, this model requires considerable
planning and collaboration among teams of teachers and community educators, as well as support from the
school’s administration in ensuring that the field experiences are accessible to all students.
Support for Programs Using the FUSE Approach
BoSTEM would like to offer its support to organizations that share this vision for STEM learning and are dedicated
to pushing their own programming in the direction of this FUSE model. Scaling up the FUSE approach is a national
effort, currently spanning Boston, Providence, and New York City and expanding to two additional cities by 2017.
BoSTEM is excited about the possibility of sharing Boston’s innovations in STEM learning on this national stage.
Specifically, BoSTEM proposes the following support package for up to five programs:
 Training and coaching around social-emotional learning and the Next Generation Science Standards
 Training for two program staff members to become a certified to use the Dimensions of Success STEM
program observation tool
 Participation in the Boston STEM Network’s out-of-school time learning community, which discusses best
practices in facilitating STEM learning at its quarterly meetings, as evidenced by program evaluation data
 Measurement and evaluation of overall program quality, student interest in STEM, social-emotional
learning outcomes for students, and professional development of staff
 A $2,500 stipend plus reimbursement of up to $2,000 for materials and supplies necessary to support
implementation of the FUSE approach
Criteria for Participating Programs
Programs are eligible to receive this support package if they meet the following criteria:
 Managed by a nonprofit organization*
 Partnership with at least one public school in Boston that serves primarily students from low-income
households (partnerships with BPS schools are preferred, but charter school partnerships will also be
considered)
 Serves students in grades 5-8
 Program curriculum that is grounded in either the MA Science, Technology, and Engineering Curriculum
Frameworks or the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), as well as strong youth development
practices that foster power skills such as critical thinking, relationship building, and perseverance
 In addition to being standards-based, curriculum enables students to use scientific inquiry and engineering
design practices (e.g. the NGSS Science & Engineering Practice Standards) to complete hands-on projects
 Curriculum is co-planned and facilitated by classroom teachers at the partner school and the staff of the
nonprofit organization
 Serves a consistent cohort of students over the course of at least 15 weeks (i.e. not a drop-in program or a
one-time field trip)
*In the case that a for-profit business hosts students in their offices or lab space and provides staffing to support
the program, the program would be eligible for measurement support and training and technical assistance from
BASB, as well as participation in the learning community. However, only nonprofit organizations may receive
financial support through this initiative.
Assessing Program Effectiveness
The national plan to evaluate the FUSE approach includes participation by program staff and students in the
following activities:
 Third party program observation using the Dimensions of Success quality rubric at two points over the
duration of the program—once toward the beginning of the program cycle and once toward the end.
 Interview with a key teacher and a key program staff member (est. 45 minutes)
 One survey per educator about prior experience and sense of competency in teaching STEM (est. 30
minutes)
 One pre- and post- Common Instrument survey per student to assess interest in STEM and social-emotional
learning (est. 30 minutes at each time point)
 One end-of-year SAYO-Y survey per student to assess overall program quality from the youth perspective
(est. 15 minutes)
In order to apply to become part of the 2015-16 FUSE cohort, please complete and submit the application on the
following page to proposals@bostonbeyond.org by Friday, July 17, 2015. Any questions about the application, the
FUSE model, or BoSTEM should be directed to Ellen Dickenson at edickenson@bostonbeyond.org.
A panel will review all submissions; selected programs will be notified by August 21, 2015.
Application for BoSTEM’s 2015-16 Expanded STEM Learning Program Cohort
Name of Organization Click here to enter text.
Name of Contact Person Click here to enter text.
Role of Contact Person Click here to enter text.
Email Address Click here to enter text.
Phone Number Click here to enter text.
Name(s) of Partner School(s) Click here to enter text.
Name(s) of Collaborating Teacher(s) at Partner Schools Click here to enter text.
1. In no more than 150 words, please describe your partnership with the school(s) listed above.
Click here to enter text.
2. In no more than 500 words, please describe the program for which you are requesting support and how it
meets the criteria listed in the attached RFP.
Click here to enter text.
3. In no more than 500 words, please describe how you will use BASB’s support package to launch or further
develop this program toward the ideal FUSE model described in the attached RFP.
Click here to enter text.
4. Do you have a need for additional volunteers to support the execution of this program? For administrative
purposes only-- applications will not be assessed based on their response to this question.
Choose an item.
Please enclose an annotated budget proposal that describes how you plan to use the $2,500 stipend and up
to $2,000 in financial support for materials and supplies necessary to execute the program described above.
By submitting this proposal, I agree that if selected, the program described above will fully participate in all
related evaluation and training activities, as well as the Boston STEM Network’s out-of-school time learning
community.
Please submit this application to proposals@bostonbeyond.org by Friday, July 17, 2015. Applicants will be
notified of selection by August 21, 2015.