Service-Learning and Ecosystems!

1. Quality Enhancements in After-School and Out-of-School Time (ASOST-Q) Competitive Grant (FC 530-B) Service-Learning and Ecosystems! Funding Opportunity/RFP at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/grants/grants14/rfp/530-B.html Grant Information Webinars July 30, 2013 and August 9, 2013

2. Agenda • ASOST Grant Purpose & Priorities • Grant-Specific Priorities • Eligibility • Grant-Specific Requirements • Funding/Fund Use • Required Information/Forms • Submission Instructions • Timeline • Questions? Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

3. Overall ASOST Grant Purpose & Priorities • Enhance quality of OST programming • Improve Student Outcomes • (academic, social, emotional, physical) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

4. Purpose & Priorities: In particular… • Enhance STEM teaching/learning in OST programming • Improve Student Outcomes • (academic, social) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

5. Grant-Specific Priorities • Support OST staff to better understand new Science standards related to Ecosystems (grades K-5 and 6-8). (Please reference the National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards.) • Help OST staff better understand how students learn these concepts. • Develop related high-quality summer STEM-SL projects that will help to decrease summer learning loss and increase students’ understanding of concepts related to Ecosystems. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

6. Eligibility • Community-based organizations with… • Experience* developing STEM curricula • Experience* training educators to implement STEM curricula with youth • A minimum of two OST program site partners** *Particularly in the area of Ecosystems (K-5 and/or 6-8) **One (or more) of which is a public school Note: Current ASOST-Q grantees (FC 530-A) are not eligible to apply. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

7. Grant-Specific Requirements Identify a team, including representatives from the participating OST programs and partners, which will: • Participate in Department-provided PD sessions • Implement a summer STEM-SL project that engages youth in the project for a minimum of 25 hours over a minimum of 4 weeks; and • Submit curriculum materials developed to the Department to serve as examples for other summer programs. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

8. Grant-Specific Requirements Teams must include… • A project coordinator (lead applicant) • Up to two staff from each OST site (total of 4) • At least one science teacher (with grade-level experience aligned with the proposed targeted student population) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

9. Grant-Specific Requirements Professional development will cover… • Quality Service-Learning – what is it? how do you do it? • Digging in to the NextGen Science Standards on Ecosystems • Blending the above…STEM Service-Learning • And will include… • Fall: 2-day STEM-SL Kickoff Session • Winter: 1-day Planning Session • Spring: Follow-up Session (site visit) - program planning at proposed OST sites • Summer (August): 1-day Reflective Practice / Documentation Session Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

10. Grant-Specific Requirements As a result, teams will: • Create and document a STEM Service-Learning Curriculum • Engage students (K-5 and/or 6-8) in the curriculum during summer 2014 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

11. Funding/Fund Use • Anticipate awarding four grants of up to $50,000 per grant • Funds can be used to support: • Salaries/stipends for both curriculum development and implementation • Professional development and related costs(including a required set-aside of $6,250 for ESE-provided PD) • Related program Materials/Supplies • Other costs related to STEM Service-Learning curriculum development and/or implementation Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

12. Required Program Information • The STEM-content expertise you bring • The existing OST programs / partners involved • The targeted students to be served and their particular needs • Who’s on your team • Anticipate outcomes resulting from implementing STEM Service-Learning • Other resources supporting your OST programs Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

13. Required Program Information Do NOT tell us about (please)… • A specific service-learning project you plan to implement. Why?? • Quality service-learning engages students in identifying needs and problems, and discovering and owning the solutions (projects) that they plan and implement as a result. Through the Department-sponsored professional development and support, funded applicants with develop curricula and lessons that incorporate rigorous science concepts as students are guided through the steps of service-learning.  Not until students are engaged in these steps will the solutions (projects) become fully-formed service-learning projects. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

14. Required Forms • Signature Pages (for school-year and summer) • Budget Pages (for school-year and summer) • Required Program Information (narrative) • Grant Assurances Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

15. Submission Instructions • Letter of Intent Due: August 9, 2013 (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J9FGD7N) • Application Due: August 16, 2013 (email and postmarked) • Submit all required forms by 5PM via email to kmckinnon@doe.mass.edu • Mail FOUR sets, at least one of which is single-sided and marked “ORIGINAL” and includes original signatures. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

16. Questions? Please use the chat function to type your questions. We will unmute your line as needed for clarifications. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education