The ARISE youth outreach program, called Build Your Future, just wrapped up its second round of engagement. For two years in a row, it has helped middle schoolers learn about natural disasters and resilience.
This year 20 Wyandotte County students attended all three Saturdays once a month from September to November, exploring concepts related to ARISE research.
The program is led by Teresa MacDonald, informal science education director at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. Her team includes museum staff Eleanor Gardner and Carolyn Kocken, KU’s TRIO Talent Search Director Rebecca Dukstein, and several student assistants.
The team braved the rain in an outdoor excursion at the Wyandotte County Lake Park on September 19. Students collected and analyzed data such as temperature, soil and air quality, and biological diversity to learn about differences between natural and built environments.
On October 19 and November 16, the group gathered at the F.L. Schlagle Library in Kansas City, Kansas. Students learned about tornadoes, flooding, extreme heat, and winter storms. They used games and other activities to learn about ways to limit damage from disasters.
Like last year, the program ended with each student taking home a basic preparedness kit with an emergency weather radio and a stipend for participation.
The team will continue to offer this program again next fall along with a series of ‘Family STEM nights’ this spring. Their goal is to give hundreds of KCK youth and families new knowledge about resilience and pathways toward future careers of consequence to Kansas.
While infusing research into education can be challenging, here’s how the ARISE team ensures success.
First, we partner with informal education experts. Dr. MacDonald brings 21 years of museum programming experience to the project.
Second, we offer programs in the communities we serve. This means leading the programs in Kansas City so that Wyandotte County youth can join without traveling far from home.
Finally, we involve faculty, graduate students, and postdocs in education and outreach. They bring the foundational knowledge of the science and engineering concepts to support the hands-on learning.
