Thank you for taking the time to watch our video!  Initial data from pilot studies shows our Classroom Adventures are deeply engaging for students and that they are increasing students’ self-concept in science and self-efficacy in science. Though the effects of COVID-19 delayed our launch of Classroom Adventures, it allowed us to pivot to Virtual Missions. We’re excited to get these programs into schools and give students these experiences.

Each Adventure takes teachers and students through a three-part program, comprised of a simulation, engineering activity, and writing exercise. Because our programs are designed by teachers for teachers, we’d love to hear feedback from educators specifically, however we welcome all feedback and questions.

Questions for teachers:

• What features of Classroom Adventures and Virtual Missions excite you the most?
• Could you see yourself implementing these programs in your curriculum?
• Do you have any questions about Classroom Adventures of Virtual Missions?

Great video! Thanks for sharing  your project. We have all been dealing as best we can with the fallout from the pandemic, including for many STEM educators, the transition from in-person to virtual programming. It can be especially challenging for programs that rely on experiential and hands-on learning. What do you think you have gained and lost by shifting from an in-person format to a virtual format?

Thank you for sharing this wonderful project and video! It was great to hear the teacher speak about the benefits of the project for her students. In what ways have teachers integrated the Classroom Adventures program into their curriculum? Do you provide follow-up activities or guidelines to continue the conversation around the engineering activities beyond their participation in the program?

Comment: I'm loving the comment made in the video about providing "mirrors rather than windows" into STEM professions. As a researcher who explores the development of young people's science identities, I'm encouraged by the language and focus of this work on developing youths' perceptions of themselves in STEM contexts. 

Questions: In thinking about the various ways young people identify and the complex interactions between their racial, cultural, gender, and science identities, I wonder in what ways programs like this one widen the mirror, sort to speak, to reflect the beliefs and aims of diverse individuals within the "content" and "aims" of the curriculum. In other words, how have you (or others) incorporated the beliefs and ways of being of diverse youths into the very fabric of the experience? What lessons learned can be shared that others can adopt or what practices should be avoided?

Remy- thank you for your question!

It is incredibly important to Challenger Center as an organization to meet all learners where they are- culturally, developmentally, and geographically. We want to ensure that when we design our experiences that learners are able to see themselves in the place of, or relate to, the STEM professionals we feature. Beyond our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, one of the most impactful ways we have found to engage learners to embrace their science identity is through role-play. We put learners in the role of a STEM professional to successfully complete their mission. Each learner has a role to play and they bring their unique background to that role. Learners are engaged when they are a part of the process and have an important and authentic job to do.

These simulations look so interactive and engaging. I would love to use these virtual adventures in my own classroom!

This is such a great project! It is great to bring the museum experience into the classroom!

Dear STEM Challenger team,

Thank you for your work and an inspiring video.  With your transition to virtual, I am intrigued about whether it is possible to enact the project in virtual collaboration settings more generally, and specifically, in the kind of collaboration we manage with school partners internationally.  If you get a chance, let me know how you might size up that possibility, and many thanks.

This sounds like an amazing program! As a teacher, I was able to use many virtual simulations, like Gizmos, in my classroom on a daily basis, whereas we wouldn't have been able to go on field trips or have visitors do a program like this very frequently. Have you found that when adding the virtual Classroom Adventures you were able to expand the reach of your program?

What a great program!  This is near and dear to my heart as well.  We do so much want to give everyone a chance to be inspired.

Love the work you all are doing!

So important. Thank you for your work on STEM equity.

Excellent work. So useful and much needed. 

Such amazing and important work that you all do! I am curious about what thought has been given to whether/how virtual programming may be continued or even expanded post-pandemic and whether you see that as an avenue for reaching more students than before, for example including those who may not have a Challenger center within field-trip distance? 

Thanks for sharing your wonderful and important work!  I've long admired the Challenger Centers across our country and the unique learning experiences they provide. I was also excited to hear about your work to provide remote learning opportunities during the pandemic. In our work we have also leveraged space/astronomy as a way to engage kids in STEM and work to broaden participation. We have found the big questions about Earth and Moon (how they formed for example) and the search for habitable planets to be particularly engaging - kids can return to our Minecraft server at any time and find new worlds to explore, habitats to build, etc. I wonder what strategies you use to keep kids engaged beyond their mission experience?  Could the work you are doing now with virtual/remote learning be leveraged as a way to strengthen long-term engagement with kids with this strategy?  Thanks again for your inspiring and meaningful work!

Big thank you to the Challenger Learning Centers!  The CLC's are truly a national treasure!

We are fortunate to have one in Oakland, California -- at Chabot Space and Science Center.

https://chabotspace.org/education/challenger/

Chabot Space and Science Center is where ClimateChangeEducation.org began in 1999. I was among the volunteers who worked with staff to start the Earth and Environmental Science program.  It wasn't just the science center in general, but the Challenger Learning Center in particular that had a big impact on me and fellow volunteers.  We learned a great deal as educators, both in getting to be participants, but also working alongside CLC presentation leaders on a regular basis.

Indeed your program has made a powerful difference in advancing diversity, equity and social justice.   

Chabot Space and Science Center was built to be, in large part, THE place school kids from the inner cities could be guaranteed to be able to get hands-on science lab experiences. Beyond what would be possible inside the individual schools.  Oakland Unified School District students in particular have been able to take part for the last two decades.

CLEAN has held important teacher professional development events at Chabot; so the CLEAN program is also definitely one of your colleagues.

Our Mobile Climate Science Labs program has learned a great deal from you, and we will be forever in your debt.  Thank you!

Thank you for sharing this work! I love that students are given opportunities to simulate (or approximate) the experiences that they could eventually participate in by following through with a STEM career.

Did you find that the online versions/virtual missions influenced the level of engagement from students or affected their motivation to participate in any way? 

Excellent project!  It is extraordinary to see initiatives like this that embrace Diversity!