Additional Resources for Implementing STEM in Out of School Time

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Cuyahoga River Fire 1969

Important Days for Science:

Earth Day History and Related Resources

A little history: Earth Day is celebrating its 42nd anniversary on April 22, 2012! Earth Day was born from the worldwide environmental movement advocating for clean air, clean water, land and nature conservation, and other responsible resource stewardship. Prior to 1970 it was more common to see waste in streams and to see and smell factory pollution?  The lack of regulations regarding the dumping of hazardous materials led to the scene below, the spontaneous combustion of the Cuyahoga River in Ohio.  

Since the Cuyahoga River fire, the United States has come a long way in promoting environmental regulations! In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson established Earth Day as a way to force this issue onto the national agenda. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was born.  The EPA was responsible for legislations such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. 

Green Curriculum & Related Online Tools

Keep California Cool
With a mission to “provide resources to all Californians in order to reduce their environmental impact and take action to stop climate change”, CoolCalifornia.org offers toolkits for schools to create a green school. Toolkits include money saving tips, grants, carbon calculators, and much more.  The Earth Day Network offers another take on carbon calculation by sending youth on an animated voyage to discover their carbon consumption.  Need to know what green energy and green schools are? Visit PBS or the Green Schools Leadership Center for videos and other community engagement resources.

Green Your School Challenge
The Green Your School Challenge  has been launched through a partnership with dosomething.org and Nestle.  The challenge aims to inspire schools & students “to go greener than the competition”.  Schools are eligible to win $5,000 green grants and students have an opportunity to win $500 scholarships.  Watch the short video with Olivia Munn to get a snapshot of the challenge or visit their website for more details. On the website, you’ll find project ideas on recycling, energy, green agriculture, and going green at home.  The deadline is April 22nd.

Astronomy Day Resources & Interactive Scale of the Universe Tool 

Explore the Universe
Zoom down to the size of quantum foam or blast off to the outer limits of the observable universe.  This virtual model is an exciting way to show youth the scale of inner and outer space.  If you are planning on celebrating Astronomy day with your students, visit the Astronomical League’s blog to download event ideas. 

National Park Week Resources

Take an Online Virtual Field Trips to National Parks
Take your after-school program to the Everglades, the Grand Teton, or Even the Grand Canyon National Parks.  The National Park Foundation offers electronic field trips curated by America’s National Park Rangers.  Students will learn about the natural environment as well as habitat and wildlife conservation.  Along with virtual learning, the National Park Foundation provides funding opportunities, education around climate change, and videos of students sharing their love and knowledge of nature.