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Ciencia Pública Summative Report Exploratorium Fall 2015 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Overview 5 Methods 7 Results 10 Socio-Political Context 11 Community Response to the Parklet 13 Awareness/Understanding of Featured Content 16 Watering Plants 17 Salt Water 18 Water Vapor 19 Rain 20 Bilingual Labels 21 Diversity within Latino Family Groups 23 Community Partnership 27 Conclusions and Insights 31 References 35 Appendices 37 Credits All photos: Garibay Group except p. 11 top: Catherine South; p. 11 bottom: Wilson, New York Times Garibay Group | Exploratorium | Ciencia Pública | Summative Evaluation | Fall 2015 2 Executive Summary Ciencia Pública is a National Science Foundation (NSF) -funded collaboration between the Exploratorium, the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco (BGCSF), and Buena Vista Horace Mann School (BVHM). The Parklet houses exhibits focused on the themes of water and sustainable water use and is intended to engage Latino families in its location, the Mission District neighborhood (the Mission). Using a culturally responsive approach, Garibay Group conducted a summative evaluation to assess project outcomes. Overall, this study found that the Ciencia Community Response Awareness/Understanding Pública project met its goals. Below, we All participants in this study saw value in the There was strong evidence that families summarize key findings. Parklet, particularly due to its subject matter. engaged with both the exhibits and the STEM They believed the Parklet helped raise content. While the drought was a familiar topic Socio-Political Context awareness about the drought in California and to all participants, the experiences at the Any project which focuses on and is situated reminded the community of the importance of Parklet provided opportunities for participants within a specific community will be affected by conserving water. Respondents found the to explore ideas, reflect on the drought, and many contextual forces outside its control. In Parklet’s topic timely and critical. They consider the importance of conserving water. the case of Ciencia Pública, the San appreciated the educational aspect of the Francisco tech boom and accompanying Parklet, commenting that this focus set it apart We documented positive family interactions gentrification of the Mission—which has from other parklets in the Mission (which they and conversations at the Parklet. The four resulted in the displacement of primarily generally felt only benefited the businesses exhibits had their individual strengths and Latino residents—has led to significant that sponsored them). Thus, they saw the challenges, but overall provided opportunities tensions and a growing sense of urgency in Ciencia Pública Parklet as being for the entire to engage with different yet complimentary the Mission to guard against further community. Participants noted that it added aspects of the topic. The Watering Plants encroachment. value to the community because of its subject interactive, for example, provided matter and educational focus. Parents from opportunities to explore water-efficient This situation affected where the Ciencia BVHM also emphasized the educational value strategies for watering (and growing) plants. Pública Parklet could be located. There were for their children and appreciated its hands-on We observed significant intergenerational indications that the current Valencia Street experiential learning. engagement, including conversations about location may have limited the number of how the component worked and ways Latinos visiting because the street is less Participants reported high levels of participants might create their own systems at frequented by Latino residents. (Based on enjoyment. The majority (98%) of survey home to more efficiently conserve water. The data from this study, 16% of casual passerby respondents rated their enjoyment a “4” or “3” strength of the Salt Water component was in groups identified as Latino/Hispanic.) on a 1–4 scale where 1 is “very low” and 4 is helping visitors explore, in detail, how “very high.” Of those who lived or worked in desalination—an idea many had only heard of The BVHM location, however, provides the Mission, 90% rated their likelihood of previously—actually works. The Rain significant opportunities to engage families visiting the Parklet again a “4” or “3” on a 1–4 component, particularly the histogram through the school; families and school staff scale (where 1 was “very low” and 4 was “very depicting historic and current rainfall, responded very positively to the Parklet. high”). generated significant conversation and comparison of rainfall levels, the severity of Garibay Group | Exploratorium | Ciencia Pública | Summative Evaluation | Fall 2015 3 Executive Summary cont’d. the drought, and the need to conserve water. were socialized into at school, whereby the project. The BGCSF contributed its expertise The Water Vapor interactive, less successful goal was knowledge acquisition. In this more in youth programming and knowledge of in comparison to the others, was the most linear model, learning is one-directional and working with Latino youth. BVHM leveraged challenging component conceptually. facilitated by a more knowledgeable individual its very strong relationships with and (usually the parent). In comparison, families knowledge of local Latino families along with Bilingual Labels where parents had less formal schooling did hosting the Parklet on its site. The Bilingual labels were positively received and not focus as narrowly on the science content/ Exploratorium contributed its expertise in communicated that everyone in the process depicted. Instead, these groups designing both Informal Science community was welcome. Respondents noted introduced a broad range of ideas and Environments (ISE) STEM experiences and that given the makeup of the Mission’s experiences to make sense of the information exhibitions in outdoor spaces . residents, it was appropriate and important they encountered. that the Parklet include information accessible The primary collaboration challenges to both Spanish and English readers. Both Families including adults with less formal centered on differences in organizational observations and interviews confirmed that schooling—and who typically were also less culture and communication style. Differences the bilingual labels provided families access familiar with museum-going practices—had in organizational mission also, at times, to information and helped maintain a group’s more difficulty making sense of the exhibits. colored perspectives on priorities. Results linguistic practices and norms, two things These groups, for example, were not clear on also illuminated ways that collaborations critical both in designing culturally responsive what the interactives were, who they were for, between different organizations are, by experiences and in ensuring access to the or what to do with them. While they were nature, affected by power structures and exhibit content. intrigued and generally had good organizational positioning. Partners in experiences, these groups were much more initiatives can deepen their relationships and Although the bilingual labels afforded positive reluctant to engage with the interactives. learn from these important “tensions.” experiences, they did not work for Latino Additionally, groups where parents had less families with little formal education. The tone formal schooling did not see the Parklet itself A key outcome from the collaboration was that and vocabulary were too academic, scientific, as culturally relevant, although they regarded it developed Exploratorium’s staff capacity in and intimidating for some. In addition, the the Parklet as important and completely “issue authentically engaging community. The labels were inaccessible to respondents with relevant.” process outlined and facilitated by BVHM staff low (or no) literacy. ensured that the local Latino community was Community Partnership involved in vetting and approving the Parklet Diversity within the Latino Community Overall, the Ciencia Pública partnership installation near the school. Exploratorium We found important differences in the ways accomplished its goals of co-developing a staff reported that the entire collaboration— that families with parents who have more parklet (in this case, with BGCSF youth) and the community engagement component in formal education and those parents with less creating experiences that successfully particular—provided many lessons and formal education engaged with the Parklet. engaged a segment of Latino families in modeled one way to approach community Families with caregivers having more formal STEM content. engagement. While the process took education drew on the learning models they significant staff effort and time and affected The evaluation also found evidence that each timelines, it was critical to the end result. partner brought its expertise to bear on the . Garibay Group | Exploratorium | Ciencia Pública | Summative Evaluation | Fall 2015 4 Overview Ciencia Pública is a National Science Foundation (NSF) -funded initiative in which the Exploratorium, in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco (BGCSF), developed a parklet to engage Latino families in STEM content. The Parklet is located in San Francisco’s Mission District (the Mission), a historically Latino neighborhood. Buena Vista Horace Mann School (BVHM) is an additional project partner and hosts the Parklet on its site. Garibay Group conducted a summative

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