Oregon Parents Value Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Learning Opportunities Provided by Afterschool Programs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At a time when many experts are concerned that U.S. students are not prepared for a changing economy that relies on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), parents of most children enrolled in afterschool in Oregon report that their child's program offers STEM learning opportunities, according to a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance. A special report released today, Full STEM Ahead: Afterschool Programs Step Up as Key Partners in STEM Education, finds broad support among Oregon parents for providing STEM learning in afterschool, and high satisfaction with afterschool STEM offerings among parents of children in afterschool programs.

Findings from the new report are based on responses collected for America After 3PM from 30,000 U.S. households, including in-depth interviews with more than 13,000 parents and guardians, and 215 parents in Oregon.

"Afterschool is a dynamic, effective setting for innovative STEM education," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "With their focus on hands-on learning and youth development, and the time they can give students to experiment, afterschool programs are well positioned to help increase STEM skills. These new data make clear that parents in Oregon recognize the value of the STEM education afterschool programs can provide. Oregon and the nation will be better positioned to succeed in tomorrow's economy if we make afterschool STEM education offerings even more robust."

Key findings from Full STEM Ahead, which is based on America After 3 PM, the most comprehensive survey ever to ask parents about their children's participation in afterschool STEM programs:

• Most Oregon parents say afterschool programs can help students gain STEM skills. Fully 56 percent of parents agree with that statement.
• Most Oregon parents believe afterschool programs should offer STEM. In all, 61 percent of parents in Oregon believe afterschool programs should provide opportunities to explore and engage in hands-on STEM learning.
• Most Oregon parents with children in afterschool say their child's program offers STEM. Some 65 percent of parents whose children attend afterschool programs say that their child's program provides STEM learning opportunities.
• Most Oregon parents with children in afterschool programs are satisfied with the STEM learning opportunities. The afterschool STEM opportunities were deemed satisfactory by 66 percent of parents with children in afterschool in Oregon.

"The realities of the new economy are clear: STEM literacy and skills are essential for this generation to successfully navigate a rapidly changing job market and increasingly complex, technologically rich society," said Mark Lewis, Director of STEM Education, Oregon Chief Education Office. "Tomorrow's citizens will be called on not just to fill jobs, but to innovate and create jobs—using their talents and passions in new ways to address the needs of society. This means that the skills and attitudes they need go far beyond just remembering facts. Afterschool STEM programs offer an outstanding opportunity for children to engage in meaningful experiences that ignite their curiosity and deepen their understanding. That's why it's fantastic to see so much energy and commitment from our after school partners!

Full STEM Ahead offers recommendations to reduce missed opportunities in afterschool STEM education. They include engaging and educating parents about the important role afterschool programs can play in supporting STEM learning; increasing technology and engineering programming in afterschool programs; and increasing investment in afterschool programs so many more children can access the STEM learning opportunities these programs can provide.

In October 2014, the Afterschool Alliance released findings from America After 3PM, revealing a dramatic increase in participation in afterschool over the past decade, from 6.5 million to 10.2 million children. The survey also documented a vast and growing unmet demand for afterschool, with the parents of 19.4 million children reporting that they would enroll their child in a program if one were available. One in five students in the United States today is unsupervised after the school day ends. National and state results from that report are available at www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/.

The America After 3PM survey was conducted by Shugoll Research; it is based on in-depth interviews with 13,709 households with children, completed via an online survey using a blend of national consumer panels. In order to participate, respondents had to live in the United States and be the guardians of a school-age child living in their household. All interviews were completed between February 28 and April 17, 2014.

Full STEM Ahead is sponsored by Comcast Tech R&D Fund, the Noyce Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The Comcast Corporation's Internet Essentials program is the nation's largest and most comprehensive program to close the digital divide. Internet Essentials has connected more than 500,000 low-income families with school-aged children, or more than 2 million low-income Americans, to the power of the Internet at home.

America After 3PM is funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Noyce Foundation, with additional support from the Heinz Endowments, The Robert Bowne Foundation and the Samueli Foundation.

The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. More information is available at www.AfterschoolAlliance.org.

SOURCE Afterschool Alliance

Related Links

http://www.AfterschoolAlliance.org