STEM and Community Engagement

While field-based experiences provide opportunities for preservice teachers to apply the theories they learn in their coursework, opportunities to help develop purposeful relationships with families are limited. A critical component of the National Science Teachers Association Elementary School Science and the Parent Involvement in Science Learning position statements include language that highlights the importance of forming partnerships between schools and parents, drawing attention to the critical role parents and caregivers play in promoting and nurturing a child's desire to engage with science. Meaningful partnerships between school and families can foster positive support for the sciences as well as motivate student learning. This realization fostered dialogue between a group of university instructors and our school partners to implement a plan to create a school-wide family learning experience. Here, Steiner et al outline how university and community-based stakeholders provided an opportunity for preservice teachers to create an authentic learning experience for students and their families that expanded content beyond the walls of the classroom.