Preparing elementary school teachers to integrate collaborative skills and science content into a service-learning project
Connect Science supports teachers and students by...
Transforming teaching by engaging students in project-based learning
Teachers learn new ways to engage students in learning. Students engage in activities to promote the eight national service-learning standards for quality practice: meaningful service, link to curriculum, reflection, diversity, youth voice, partnerships, progress monitoring, and duration and intensity.
Enhancing students’ social and emotional skills
Students learn a set of collaborative skills that help them work together on a service-learning project in the classroom. These skills aim to address the five core competencies of social and emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Motivating students to become engaged citizens
Students learn about energy-related problems. They identify issues in their community and then become driven and prepared to work toward solutions.
Preparing teachers to use the Next Generation Science Standards
Teachers gain a concrete understanding of how the cross-cutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas and scientific practices can be integrated to meet essential understandings related to energy and natural resources.
Connect Science is evidence-based
A randomized controlled trial of Connect Science showed a positive impact on science learning and civic engagement in fourth grade students.
Connect Science is designated as a Promising Program in the CASEL Program Guide.
Bring SEL to your school with a book written by Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman
One problem in education is that researchers have extensive knowledge about social and emotional learning but rarely share it with teachers in an accessible format. This issue motivated Sara Rimm-Kaufman to prepare this book, called SEL from the Start: Building Skills in K-5, for teachers based on work from a newly developed program, Connect Science. This easy-to-read book helps teachers support students’ development of social and emotional skills right from the start of the year. Teachers who have used this approach are surprised and impressed with how pleasant their classroom environment can be and how elementary school students are capable of complex and positive social behaviors.
Learn more about how you can implement Connect Science.
