“Youth Ready for Science” What Can Be Done? Youth Civic Leaders Summit March 3, 2012 Welcome to the Forum! This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-45201-04715. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Today’s forum… Ground rules - 1 min Intro to the issue - 3 min Starter questions - 3 min Three views - 30 min (10 each) Reflection - 7 min Wrap-up - 7 min

Ground rules Speak out! This is your chance for your voice to be heard! Everyone gets to participate. Please do not interrupt others or dominate the conversation. All views will be considered with respect. Everyone should listen as well as speak. Please turn cell phones off.

The issue Science education and where we rank in the world is a major problem in our country and a concern for our government. Research shows that students will need more science to be ready for the job market, and need to see the relevance of science to their lives at an early age. Not being able to compete in the global world in science and technology is a problem for our communities, state, and country. Why has this happened? What can be done to remedy this problem? What ideas and opinions do youth have on this issue? How do they see it affecting their schools and communities? Today we will discuss three different views people have on this issue and how it can be solved…

Starter questions How does this issue relate to you? What personal experiences have you had with this issue in your school or community? Why is this an important issue for your friends, family, school, 4-H club, or community?

Ways to resolve the issue Option #1 Option #2 Option #3 Introduce youth to the importance of science at school and in the community. Partner with businesses to expand science and technology education. Address the root causes of why students are not keeping pace in science.

Option #1 Introduce youth to the importance of science at school and in the community. What do we like about this view? What do we dislike? Why would people support or oppose this view? Are there other choices we should consider?

Partner with businesses to expand science and technology education. Option #2 Partner with businesses to expand science and technology education. What do we like about this view? What do we dislike? Why would people support or oppose this view? Are there other choices we should consider?

Option #3 Address the root causes of why students are not keeping pace in science. What do we like about this view? What do we dislike? Why would people support or oppose this view? Are there other choices we should consider?

Time to reflect! What did you learn about the effects of this issue on your community? Has your thinking about the issue changed as a result of today’s discussion? How can we use what we have learned today? What can you do to make a difference?

Wrapping it up… What aspects of this issue seemed the most difficult to you? What were some common concerns the group shared? Were there any trade-offs that most people would accept? Would not accept? Did the group identify any shared directions for actions to take?

Thank you for your participation!

“Youth Ready for Science” What Can Be Done? Youth Civic Leaders Summit March 3, 2012 Welcome to the Forum! This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-45201-04715. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.