Science is Cool in After School Programs

The Council was awarded $5,000 from TD Bank Charitable Foundation to implement Science is Cool, a new initiative for after school programs. The Council has been supporting Westchester’s after school sector for decades, helping new programs to open with a focus on improving the richness of the educational and social experiences delivered by programs to the children they serve. This project’s goal is to increase the frequency and diversity of science activities in the curriculum of the participating after school programs, as well as to increase the participating students’ interest in science and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.

Four after school programs are engaged with Science is Cool: Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Lakeland Children’s Center at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Yonkers Family YMCA and San Andres After School Program. All programs attended a science workshop at the Council that showed participants how to create more opportunities for science activities.  Each program assessed their current science materials and activities, and was awarded a grant so they could purchase additional science materials.  The programs received technical assistance from the Council’s Quality Improvement Specialist that showed how to use these new materials in new and exciting science activities. Pre-workshop SACERS (School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale) assessments were conducted to provide baseline data; post technical assistance assessments will be conducted to see how each program increased their science ratings.

The program has been well received by members of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester’s Fun Club after school enrichment program. Barbara Cutri, Director of Operations, says, “Our members are having so much fun with science that they don’t even realize that they are learning basic science principles.