Hi, Kirstin!

It IS great to "see" you again :)

The most popular labs seem to be the 'messiest' ones - making Oobleck, Insta-snow powder, and the effervescent film-canister rocket. Based on data, the most engaged kit (theme) has probably been the forensic science/detective kit where students have determine who "dog-napped" their friend's pet. They work through a story (activity book) and had a 'detective bag' (think "Happy Meal box") with detective like tools such as an invisible ink spy pen, black ink stamp pad for fingerprinting, and a red lens secret reveal lens.

 One of the students wants to do an activity about the Mobius strip and I'm excited to see how it turns out!

Based on data, the most engaged kit (theme) has probably been the forensic science/detective kit where students have determine who "dog-napped" their friend's pet. They work through a story (activity book) and had a 'detective bag' (think "Happy Meal box") with detective like tools such as an invisible ink spy pen, black ink stamp pad for fingerprinting, and a red lens secret reveal lens. It reminds me of how your kids are excited about STEM with the escape room and solving the crime :)

"Have I been able to see the impact of the kits in the classes?" --- This is a tricky question to answer. The Food Pantry is run by student services and due to confidentiality reasons, we (the district's Teaching Learning and Accountability team) do not have access to who participates. All of our digital data must be anonymous and/or managed by student services. This under-served population is also very transient in our district. While we can't see its impact in the classroom, we have some data to show that the kits are very well-received and has increased STEM engagement! :)

Thanks for watching my video, Liza! As for your questions

• Do you offer any support for parents on facilitating their kiddos exploration?
  With each activity/handout, we strive to incorporate guiding questions and explanations for parents/guardians to facilitate the exploration. On some handouts, we've included the answers upside or in smaller font in case the adult does not know the answer. But you've got me thinking, maybe I we can include video explanations too...
   
• Do you survey or interview the families who receive the kits?
  This is a tricky question to answer. The Food Pantry is run by our district Student Services and due to confidentiality reasons, we (the district's Teaching Learning and Accountability team) do not have access to who participates and cannot interview they. All of our survey must be anonymous and/or managed by Student Services. So unfortunately, we are not allowed to survey or interview the families in-person.
   
• Are you familiar with Bedtime Math and the Crazy 8's Club?
  I was not, but I am now :) I explored it a little bit and it is on my list to learn more about for this project. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Diana!

Feel free to use some of the materials on the At Home STEM website :)

Thanks, Kathleen! While the voice with the videos does pose a privacy issue, I do like the picture idea! Drawing into some kids' competitive spirit, I can see it as a online competition or 'gallery website.'  Thanks for making my ideas stretch further :)

I love the idea of a virtual visit and bringing in former students, Flo!

We are beginning to explore community connections. Right now, we have (and are still getting) sponsors to feature a monthly STEM kit. Last year the McCarthy construction company put together an engineering kit, highlighting the book Rosie Revere Engineer. We're talking with some banks right now to feature a financial literacy STEM kit. Fingers crossed that one of them will sponsor us!

Thanks for reminding us of the power of a community!

Excellent questions Joni! We follow up with monthly impact surveys, both online and digital and fully anonymous. Survey participation has been low compared to how many kits we've distributed, but we have some data showing that they are being used and that messy, hands-on activities (such as Oobleck or making fake snow) seem to be a hit. We're looking at partnering with the Food Pantry student service division to combine our surveys with theirs to see if we can get a better results. The food pantry workers and volunteers say that recipients are always so excited and thankful every month for receiving it, especially with longer breaks.

It's only been a year, but we're hopeful that it will show an increase in STEM interest. Some data we will use to measure include our district's STEM Fest participation and middle school STEM electives.

Thanks, Jodi! :)

Yea, STL represent!!

I love the video 'Science in the Parking Lot' idea because having another media method can help reach more participants. It might also make some of those tricky and wordy directions easier to understand. Now you've got my creative communication juices flowing...Thanks! :)