About Us

About the New York Academy of Sciences

For nearly 200 years the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) has brought together extraordinary people working at the frontiers of discovery and has promoted vital links between science and society. The Academy has a history of building new scientific communities and constructing innovative connections among an extensive scientific network. One of the oldest scientific organizations in the United States, the Academy is widely recognized as not only one of the world’s foremost organizers of scientific conferences, and symposia, but also as an esteemed publisher and communicator of scientific information, driving innovation in a multitude of scientific disciplines around the world.

The Academy has a three-pronged mission: to advance scientific research and knowledge, to help resolve the major global challenges facing society with science-based solutions, and to increase the number of scientifically informed individuals.

The Academy has strengthened its commitment to nurture all stages of the scientific pipeline, beginning with a child’s first moment of curiosity, by developing its New York City Science Education Initiative in order to advance achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

About the NYAS Science Teachers Program

In order to inspire the next generation of scientists, science teachers must stay at the forefront of not only scientific trends and breakthroughs, but also the best methods to shape learning goals and actively engage students. To this end, the NYAS Science Teachers Program is designed to build a community of science educators in and beyond the city, and provide a space where science education professionals can convene, learn, and collaborate about exciting scientific topics, education policy, curriculum, and classroom best practices. With the aim of fostering outstanding work by these educators, the program provides sponsored Academy memberships to teachers, providing them with access to resources that they are able to apply to the classroom setting.

There is tremendous potential to translate the Academy’s current and past scientific work, including more than 100 years of primary source material, into resources for teachers, including lesson plans and multimedia resources for digital distribution. This type of dissemination allows the Initiative to impact teachers across the world by creating a content-rich collaborative online space.

The Academy’s model encourages educators to exchange information, build collaborations, and spur new thinking. By connecting teachers with the larger scientific community, the Academy is creating linkages between students, teachers, and working scientists, thus helping educators make science learning more relevant and exciting, a critical step for improving achievement in science around New York City.

How it Works

The NYAS Science Teacher Program consists of two interconnected elements: networking events and a digital footprint. In addition to joining the larger scientific community at Academy events, teachers also partake in specific Science Teacher Program events. The program features at least six events per year addressing four primary areas – pedagogy, policy, networking, and technology – but has the organizational capacity to expand both the topical areas and format of future events based on the interest of participants. The broad dissemination of the content from these events is a hallmark of the Academy’s programs. The Academy’s website also serves as a portal for interactive webinars, allowing teachers outside of the city the opportunity to participate in New York-based events. Through Academy eBriefings, teachers have access to online multimedia reports of events in an accessible format, documenting and extending the reach of live meetings after their conclusion. In addition to events at the Academy, the program will soon feature a robust online community including individual online profile pages, message boards, blogging and file-sharing functionality, and other means of communication, allowing for continual idea exchange beyond the walls of program events. This social networking website for teachers will launch early this winter.

This multidimensional approach allows teachers the flexibility to receive the benefits of the program in a variety of ways, both live and online, building a dynamic community of educators in and beyond New York City.

About the NYAS Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program

Overview

The New York Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), has developed the Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program, matching afterschool programs in New York City with graduate student members of the Academy’s Science Alliance – a program that provides support and career mentoring to 8,000 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in STEM disciplines. Academy staff members work with curriculum partners to develop lessons to train graduate students and place these students in afterschool programs as instructors and mentors, with the aim of both solidifying foundational science education and fostering better communication of science by young researchers. Afterschool programs enhance communities and enrich the lives of children by providing safe, supportive, and structured environments. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, an association exists between participation in high quality afterschool programs and higher scores on standardized tests. However, DYCD’s afterschool programs currently suffer a documented scarcity of quality science educators and curricula.

As a step in addressing this shortage and the lagging science achievement by New York City students, the Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program has the distinct ability to inspire high-need K-12 students with an infusion of energy, enthusiasm, and expertise. Mentors have the invaluable opportunity to work outside university walls and impart their knowledge to the students who need it most. The afterschool students, who predominantly come from underserved communities, not only receive exposure to new and engaging curricula, but they also learn from young scientists, who, while working to inspire a new generation of scientific innovators, also serve as positive role-models and mentors.

How it Works

We invite graduate student and postdoc members of the Academy’s Science Alliance to apply for the NYAS Science Education Fellows Program. Selected Science Alliance members participate in pedagogical workshops and receive training to teach innovative curricula modules developed by esteemed institutions, such as FIRST, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Cornell University. Graduate student and postdoc mentors have the opportunity to choose one of five curriculum modules, including Robotics, Genetics, Earth Science, Ornithology and Biodiversity, and Space Science. They then teach these curricula and serve as mentors to students in the city’s afterschool programs. Networking events are held each semester so that Science Alliance members can connect with each other and report on the challenges and successes they have encountered in the classroom.

Participating Afterschool Sites

The Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program places graduate student and postdoc mentors in DYCD afterschool programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The DYCD determined the areas with the greatest need for afterschool services by targeting 77 zip codes according to six demographic variables: youth population; youth poverty rate; rate of youth ages 16-19 years who are not in school, not high school graduates, and not in the labor force; number of English Language Learners (ELL) students in public school; number of single parent families with related children under 18 years of age; and number of children eligible for New York State subsidized childcare. More than 60% of all DYCD programs are located in these areas, and are provided at no cost to participants. By partnering with DYCD, the Academy is able to reach students across the city who are in the greatest need of receiving extra support in STEM education and engaging with mentors who serve as positive role models.