Cyberchase: Mobile Adventures in STEM

Challenge

STEM knowledge enriches our experiences of the natural and social worlds. Providing children with early opportunities to interact with STEM through playful and creative activities can increase their chances of developing positive associations and dispositions toward STEM and lay foundations for lifelong knowledge and capabilities. Yet not all children have access to rich early STEM learning.

The WNET group and EDC are advancing the STEM learning of early elementary children of Spanish-speaking families and low-income families through Cyberchase: Mobile Adventures in STEM. The project combines the popular animated TV series Cyberchase with the potential of mobile texting to engage families in environmental science and math activities.

Key Activities

The project is carrying out the following activities:

Creating new Cyberchase videos focused on using math to learn about the environment; ensuring videos are culturally responsive and based on a strengths-based view of learners and communities
Researching target audience needs and interests
Conducting a bilingual family learning program in 15 communities, in which parents receive weekly texts combining this media with related STEM activities
Studying the impact of the approach in supporting informal STEM learning and positive parent-child interactions

Impact

The new Cyberchase videos will build the math and environmental literacy of millions of young girls and boys.
The family learning program will engage families in 15 diverse communities across the United States in fun and productive STEM experiences.
The project will provide insight into how media-supported family learning activities delivered to parents’ phones via text messages can foster engagement in STEM learning among low-income children and parents.