Hands On Science Outreach, Inc.

Hands On Science Outreach, Inc. operated as a national non profit organization registered in Maryland with a volunteer Board of Directors that conducted informal science education programs from 1984-2007. The programs were developed as a science alternative to sustained afterschool activities in sports, music, dance and crafts. They were conceived as once-a-week classes in everyday science using the "shoestring science materials" approach in which primary and secondary school children could practice science skills with simple, mostly readily available materials in small groups.

The program was developed in Montgomery County, Maryland and administered from there as it grew. As a community-based program, different locations customized the administration to its needs. HOSO partnered with public and private schools, pre-schools, day care centers, museums, agencies, churches and youth organizations.

History

Hands On Science was an outgrowth of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs Educational Programs, Inc. (MCCPTA-EPI) Hands On Science (HOS) program that ran from 1982-2007 in Montgomery County, Maryland. The concept and development were directed by Phyllis Katz, who piloted this science enrichment program through the Lee Community School from 1980-1982 and served as the Executive Director from 1980-2001 and 2003 and then as Director of Research and Special Projects (2002, 2004-2005). HOSO completed its last programming with the spring session in 2007.

Philosophy

As an enrichment program, the small groups would have exploration themes, illustrative experiences for the children and flexibility to follow the interests of the particular group. Activities were organized to encourage children to enjoy their inquiries and to develop confidence to ask and seek answers. The philosophy and mission for HOS/HOSO were derived from research on how children learn and the belief that learning science was both empowering and necessary in our rapidly changing world. It also recognized that young children’s learning (and enrichment learning for adults) happens when there is an affective---pleasure---component. The HOS/HOSO activities were meant to provide children with experience in how the world works and fun in the learning through models, games, experiments and discussions. The activity guides evolved into sets of questions that drove the weekly meetings and tied the play into considerations of relevance to the children’s lives.

The mission statement

The organization's mission statement was:

Hands On Science Outreach (HOSO) is a nonprofit organization, partners with communities to spark children’s interest in science and mathematics. HOSO provides communities with tools to make playful, inquiry-based science enrichment available to children from Pre-K through sixth grades.

Format

The HOSO program consisted of after school classes (used as a generic term for out-of-school enrichment---sometimes meeting evenings and/or weekends), pre-school science and mathematics programs, and summer programs. The afterschool class sessions were developed for small groups (9-11) of children from ages 4-12 in four age/grade groups: pre-K; K-1, 2-3, 4-6. Classes generally met for an hour a week for an 8 week series. Pre-school programs could be incorporated into the regular programming or used as an add-on. Summer programs were designed for half-day two week sessions which could be used as stand alone units or as components of ongoing full day programs.Each series had a set of activity guides, a kit of materials and required leader training. The activity guides were developed by the HOSO staff and reviewed for accuracy and readability by Board members with science expertise and/or consultants. The kits supplied enough simple and safe materials so that all children could do all activities and take something home for display or re-use or family discussion from each class meeting. The Adult Leaders were community members (sometimes classroom teachers, but most often parents, graduate students, retirees or free lancers) who shared the connection of science and play. They attended an initial introductory training on the importance and techniques of this science enrichment and after, a follow-up training session prior to each of the children’s series so that they would be familiar with the specific activities and materials. They also had an opportunity to ask questions and to participate in a community of HOSO/HOS teachers who continued from year to year, as some did.

Content

The three year cycle of afterschool programs were designed so that a child could choose the HOSO programs as a enrichment activity through elementary school without repeating any one series. Each year had an overall theme and each theme included 3 eight week sessions for the Pre-K, K-1, 2-3 and 4-6 grade groups, as follows:
* STRUCTURE AND CHANGE
** Fall: Anatomy
** Winter: Chemistry
** Spring: Earth Science
* SCIENCE PATTERNS
** Fall: Physics of Color and Light
** Winter: Architecture and Engineering
** Spring: Physics of Sound and Flight
* ENERGY
** Fall: Natural, non-solar energy
** Winter: Mechanical Energy
** Spring: Solar Energy

In addition the Pre-K groups could select MATHSPARK, a series originally developed with the Montgomery County Head Start program. It included three units: Geometry, Number and Chance (Probability) for four year olds.

Summer Programs were available for three grade groups:Early Science (K-1): All About Me, My Environment, My World Past and PresentSummer Science Adventures 2-3: Water Works/Underfoot, In the Air/Ecology and MeSummer Science Adventures 4-6: The Green Scene/Up, Up and Away, The Good Earth/Energy

Program support

HOSO was supported by user fees and grant awards. The user fees were set to be comparable to group dance lessons and affordable to most families who would seek this kind of enrichment for their children. Mindful of low income families, HOSO sought to work nationally and within local communities to develop mechanisms to encourage low income families to have access. HOSO was awarded several National Science Foundation grants, beginning in 1985.

Evaluation and Research

HOSO fit to the National Science Education Standards

When the National Science Education Standards were published in 1996, they were designed to provide guidance to schools (formal educators) so that science education across the country would be aimed at a consistently high quality by grade. [National Research Council, 1996. "National Science Education Standards" http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/] The HOSO fit to these standards was published in a 1999 article in the Journal of Elementary Science Education. [Katz, P. and McGinnis, J.R. (1999). In informal science program's response to the national science education reform movement. Journal of Elementary Science Education. 11 (1) p.1-11. https://www.wiu.edu/users/jese/archive/JESE_11-01.pdf] HOSO staff took the standards and mapped the HOSO program educational processes of its informal program to these standards.

HOSO Chart on program monitoring

References on HOSO

# Handbook of Research on Science Education, p.148cite web
url=http://www.nsta.org/159&id=13
title=Handbook of Research on Science Education (Hardcover)
accessdate=2008-03-16]
# Informal Science Learning: What the Research Says About Television, Science Museums, & Community-Based Projects, ISBN 978-0964042308 (Paperback), p.124-126
# Community Connections for Science Education: History and Theory You Can Use, pp. 55-60 ISBN-13: 978-0873551922 (Paperback)
# A new collaboration helps kids get a hand on science - recreational sciencecite web
url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_n8_v32/ai_19763618
title=A new collaboration helps kids get a hand on science - recreational science
accessdate=2008-03-16]
# Hands On Science Outreach with Omaha Urban AHECcite web
url=http://www.ahecomaha.org/DOCUMENTS/OU-AHEC%20and%20HOSO.ppt
title=Hands On Science Outreach with Omaha Urban AHEC
accessdate=2008-03-16]
# Science enrichment through informal science. Final reportcite web
url=http://www.energystorm.us/Science_Enrichment_Through_Informal_Science_Final_Report-r234534.html
title=Science enrichment through informal science. Final report
accessdate=2008-03-16]

References