Worms and Snails and Teen Teacher Tales

 
The desire for higher test scores, by emphasizing reading and math in elementary schools, is squeezing science from the curriculum, especially in low-income communities where school test scores often lag. The result is that young elementary school-aged children in these neighborhoods receive limited science education during the school day and few opportunities to enjoy the discovery, wonder, and learning of inquiry-based activities.

 

 
In Sacramento County, UCCE partners with the Sacramento START after-school program, training teenage volunteers and program staff in the 4-H Youth Experiences in Science (YES) Project. Program staff coach the teens who deliver the program weekly at Sacramento START sites. Curriculum units include Snails, Worms, Bubbles, Recycling, Energy, Collections and Kitchen Science. The program promotes problem solving and thinking.

Since September 1997, over 150 teens have delivered the semester-long program to more than 3,000 first to third grade children who attend the Sacramento START program. This partnership model has been successfully replicated in Monterey County.
 

 
Feedback from teens, coaches, parents and children themselves indicate that young program participants look forward to the YES Project sessions. Eighty-six percent of parents reported that their children wanted to continue in YES, and teens reiterate that finding.

Ninety-two percent of teens reported feeling more confident in public speaking as a result of their YES experience. The program provides new experiences for teenagers, a chance to make a real difference in their communities and opportunities to explore potential career choices.
 

 
An adult coach: "The children just look forward to that day because they know it's not going to be the leader teaching, it's going to be the teenagers."
A teen: "The kids love it. They love exploring and observing and discussing things."
 

Supporting Unit: Sacramento County
 
Marianne Bird
Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County
4145 Branch Center Road
Sacramento, CA 95827-3898
(916)875-6811 mbird@ucdavis.edu