Connect Science
What We Do
Connect Science provides professional development materials and experiences that prepare elementary school teachers to create engaging, interesting and science-based service-learning opportunities for their students.
Project Info
Project Status: July 2015 – Present
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
Principal Investigator: Sara Rimm-Kaufman
The program supports teachers’ efforts to learn scientific concepts so they can effectively teach those concepts and help students develop the social and emotional skills required to engage in service-learning.
High-quality service-learning instruction engages and motivates students and teaches important science concepts and collaborative skills. Students who participate in service-learning will gain the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to become an engaged citizen and solve environmental challenges that lie ahead. Connect Science goals are to support teachers' science instruction, boost students’ collaborative skills, and spark students’ interest in future civic work.
In collaboration with Tracy Harkins from Harkins Consulting and building on work from KIDS Consortium, the Connect Science team developed and tested the feasibility and usefulness of the materials with teachers from 2015-2017 and conducted a small randomized-controlled trial of the newly-developed program from 2017-2018
Connect Science Website
Learn more by visiting the Connect Science website.
