25.10.20
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K-12 STEM Outreach| Facilitator

The badge equips participants with the essential knowledge and skills to facilitate high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational opportunities for youth.

Participants will: 1) plan and facilitate lessons for varying age groups within classroom/informal spaces; 2) incorporate career awareness in outreach activities; 3) analyze and modify STEM activities to meet curricular and learner needs; 4) develop communication and problem-solving skills for STEM education; 5) use effective classroom management to create a positive and productive environment for youth programming; and 5) apply literacy development to STEM Outreach. The training includes required field experience hours where participants facilitate STEM lessons with youth. 

This training is offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and in partnership with the Program for Women in STEM Education (WiSE), Iowa Space Grant Consortium, and Iowa 4-H Youth Development.  

Skills / Knowledge

  • Written Communication
  • Public Speaking
  • Facilitation
  • Planning
  • Problem-solving
  • Collaboration

Issued on

May 6, 2025

Expires on

Does not expire

Earning Criteria

Required

course

Participants who earn this badge complete 8 modules through various modalities (in-person, online or hybrid formats) and successfully demonstrate the following skills:

  • Promoting positive youth development

  • Analyzing and modifying STEM lessons to meet curricular and learner needs

  • Planning and facilitating STEM lessons for varying age groups within classroom/informal spaces

  • Promoting literacy through STEM lessons

  • Incorporating career awareness into STEM lesson activities

  • Managing classroom spaces, materials, and behavior to create a positive and productive environment for youth programming

  • Utilizing effective oral and written communication in STEM education

  • Problem-solving and collaboration in STEM education

Assessment:

Participants are assessed on a combination of the following assignments focused on STEM education:

  • Written script describing their STEM Journey that shows components of:

    • Positive youth development

    • Career awareness/development

  • Peer review of STEM Journeys to identify and record components of:

    • Positive youth development

    • Career awareness/development

  • Analysis and modification of a pre-selected lesson for age-appropriateness

  • Analysis and modification of a pre-selected lesson to include experiential learning

  • Analysis and modification of a pre-selected lesson to include literacy development

  • Responses to challenging situations and logistics scenarios

  • In a small group, find a lesson and plan for teaching the lesson to peers:

    • Teach/facilitate a lesson to peers

    • Peer review of lesson facilitation

    • Self-reflection on the lesson that was taught to peers

    • Modify the lesson based on feedback

  • In a small group, find and prepare a lesson to facilitate with youth:

    • Instructor/expert review of lesson facilitation to youth

    • Self-reflection on the lesson facilitation to youth