Evaluating Mixed-Age Programs
Welcome to Insights & Opportunities: A Hub for Informal STEM Education! Insights & Opportunities is a twice-monthly newsletter for educators, administrators, legislators, and advocates who recognize the importance of informal STEM learning.
This newsletter is brought to you by me, Sarah Dunifon, and my team at Improved Insights. I’m a long-time STEM educator, researcher, and equity advocate. Along with my team, I now work on cutting-edge informal STEM learning research and evaluation.
Each edition of this newsletter offers exciting insights, resources, and opportunities for informal STEM learning professionals, including funding, jobs, professional development, informal STEM learning research, evaluation tips and resources, and so much more! We hope you find it valuable. Now, let’s get started.
Evaluating Mixed-Age Programs
In this edition of Insights & Opportunities, Dr. Sarah Dunifon will discuss the challenge of evaluating programs with broad, mixed-age audiences and investigate three assessment strategies. To read the full article, check it out in our Insights [hyperlink]. In the meantime, here’s a taste:
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A question that we address often as evaluators is, “How can you effectively evaluate these programs, with such a broad audience?” There are a few strategies that we employ when working with programs of these types.
Older youth and adults can easily complete written evaluation tools, like surveys and questionnaires, but what about younger audiences? Younger ages generally have not yet developed the critical thinking and language skills needed for more complex assessments. Instead, a short guided interview, drawing assessment, or observations may be more effective methods for gathering information from this age group.
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Rather than seeking answers to the same set of questions from all ages, as in the previous examples, this might involve targeting certain questions to certain audiences. For instance, you may have questions about how youth are engaging with a nature play space. This could be answered through observations of youth using the space. But you might also be interested in how likely adults are to take their kids to the nature play space. Surveys and interviews with adults could be a strategy to answer that question.
To read the full article, check it out in our Insights.
60-Second Suggestions
Here are a few of our favorite things this month, usually pertaining to informal STEM education and evaluation, but occasionally some fun personal stuff, too.
This new online tool created by the Research and Innovation Careers Observatory, allows users to access a database of science career metrics spanning 53 countries. One of the goals of this database is to create greater global transparency around salary and working conditions for scientists, with an eye on policy impact.
This episode of the NAAEE Podcast hosts Stefan Moss, an environmental scientist and educator. Moss discusses how curiosity and representation can create links for young people to future careers in science, and how hands-on, engaging learning experiences play a key role in science education.
This article from Remake Learning reviews the real-world impacts of three nature-based Moonshot projects in Pittsburgh’s urban communities. All three of the projects in some way demonstrate the research-backed impact that outdoor learning has on academic learning, personal development, and environmental stewardship.
Opportunities
Check out these new opportunities for the informal STEM learning community.
Funding:
2026 Funding Cycle, McCune Charitable Foundation, $15,000. Nonprofits, state and tribal governments, and public schools in the state of New Mexico are invited to apply for funding that promotes the priorities of the McCune Charitable Foundation: capacity building in the nonprofit sector; education transformation; strategies for rural development; and others. The grant cycle is open August 15-September 15, 2025.
Civic Science Collaboration, Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, $15,000. U.S.-based nonprofits are invited to apply for an opportunity to support civic science media projects. The award aims to bridge the gap between scientists, media, and communities, with a focus on increasing public participation in science, expanding public deliberation about emerging science and creating opportunities for science to be informed by diverse communities. Applications are due August 31, 2025.
Early Childhood Education and Play, Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood, variable. Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in support of new programs aimed at improving the quality of early childhood education everywhere a child learns, through innovative curricula and the design of imaginative play materials and learning environments. Letters of inquiry are due September 30, 2025.
West Michigan Youth Programs, The Gerber Foundation, up to $10,000. Nonprofits in the West Michigan region are invited to apply for grants to fund youth programming. Special emphasis will be placed on programs in the target areas of education (including STEM education), early childhood services and literacy, life experiences (agricultural science education, 4-H, FFA, etc.), among others. Submissions are due September 15, 2025.
Jobs and Fellowships:
Conservation Educator, Bronx Zoo (Bronx, NY), $53,000. The Conservation Educator will support high-quality STEM and nature-based learning through the development and delivery of educational programming, from field trips to informal children and family programs. They will also provide support for seasonal and part-time staff, such as Conservation Camp Counselors, interns, and volunteers.
Education Intern, Gowanus Canal Conservancy (Brooklyn, NY), $20.00/hour. Education Interns will assist with Community Science Water Quality and Urban Ecology field trips for K-12 students. Interns will have the opportunity to gain experience related to informal STEM education, including leading small groups of students in hands-on education activities and assisting in the facilitation of field trips. Interns will also receive training in programmatic topics and work directly with the organization's education team as teaching assistants. Applications are due August 10, 2025.
Education Specialist - Zoo Camps & School Programs, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (Cleveland, OH), $44,000. The Education Specialist will aid in the creation, development, and delivery of educational programs that promote conservation of and appreciation for wildlife. They will lead day camp experiences, design training processes for program facilitators, and assess the impacts of programming, making adjustments as needed. Applications are due August 17, 2025.
Environmental Coordinator, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF) (Elizabeth, IL), $48,000. The Environmental Education Coordinator will conduct engaging educational programs for youth and families. This includes the development, coordination, and leadership of field trips at JDCF preserves, and the leadership of summer camps and public programs.
Learning and Engagement Specialist, Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey, CA), $68,000. The Learning and Engagement Specialist will support employee learning, development, and engagement programs at the aquarium, including program analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. They will design training, job aids, multimedia courses, and other materials to enhance employee learning, engagement, and leadership development. The priority application deadline is August 5, 2025.
Professional Development:
AZA 2025 Annual Conference, Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), September 13-18, 2025 (Tampa, FL). The Association of Zoos & Aquariums will host their annual conference in Tampa, Florida from September 13-18, 2025. During the conference, zoo and aquarium professionals will explore ideas and best practices through more than 150 education program sessions, participate in round-table topic discussions, experience new technology, and more. Early bird registration closes August 15, 2025.
Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Mission Patagonia Expedition, Mission Patagonia Nature Guardians, November 2025 or March 2026 (Southern Chile). Mission Patagonia is an immersive environmental education program designed to foster a deep connection with nature while promoting an ecosystemic approach to conservation. Participants will engage in hands-on conservation activities and explorations of ecosystems in Castro City and the Melimoyu Elemental Reserve in southern Chile. The program will take place in either November 2025 or March 2026, depending on availability and interest. Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2025.
MAAM Annual Conference, The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM), October 28-30, 2025 (Pittsburgh, PA). MAAM will host its annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA from October 28-30, 2025. The conference is dedicated to fostering excellence in museums by providing high-quality professional development, networking opportunities, and special events for museum professionals in the region.
NAAEE 54th Annual Conference: Forward Together, North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), November 3-6, 2025 (virtual). Join NAAEE for their virtual 2025 Annual Conference and Research Symposium: Forward Together. The conference will bring together over 1,000 environmental education professionals to reflect on the power of collaboration in tackling the world's most pressing social and ecological challenges. Pre-conference workshops will take place throughout October, followed by a research symposium on October 30. The main conference will be held November 3-6, 2025.
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