NSF Academies for Young Scientists (NSFAYS)

NSF seeks to support NSFAYS Projects that will create, implement, evaluate, and disseminate effective models to attract K-8 students to, prepare them for, and retain them in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, leading to an increase in the pool of students continuing in STEM coursework in high school and considering careers in STEM fields. Models must be built on sustainable partnerships of formal and informal education providers, business/industry, and Colleges of Education. The Foundation solicits highly innovative projects that expose students to innovative out-of-school time (OST) learning experiences that demonstrate effective synergies with in-school curricula, and take full advantage of the special attributes of each educational setting in synergistic ways. Projects should structure highly motivational experiences for students while providing essential STEM preparation. Professional development for classroom teachers and OST education providers will be critical to the success of NSFAYS Projects. The portfolio of NSFAYS Projects is intended to explore a variety of implementation models in urban, rural and suburban settings representing diverse student populations. This portfolio of projects, taken as a whole, should inform NSF and the broader educational community of what works and what does not, for whom, in what settings. One NSFAYS Research and Evaluation Center will be funded to provide research and evaluation support for the NSFAYS program. It is anticipated that the Center will synthesize research emerging from the funded NSFAYS Projects and have responsibility for national dissemination of program models, findings, and best practices.