Project Recap

This multi-year evaluation examines how a deep partnership between an elementary school and a science center functions as a connected STEREAM learning ecosystem for students, teachers, and families.

Project Description

Deep partnerships between schools and science centers hold promise for transforming how students experience STEAM learning, but they require more than field trips and one-off programs. To examine how sustained partnerships function over time, ILI is conducting a five year evaluation, beginning in Spring 2025, of the Central Elementary STREAM Academy in Allentown, Pennsylvania — a collaboration between Central Elementary School and the Da Vinci Science Center designed to function as a connected learning ecosystem.

Students, teachers, and families experience STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning across both school and museum settings through regular visits, co-teaching, and integrated curriculum. Central Elementary students visit the Science Center throughout the school year, while Da Vinci educators and classroom teachers co-plan and co-teach STREAM experiences. Families receive memberships to extend learning beyond school time.

The partnership seeks to strengthen teacher confidence and practice in interdisciplinary STREAM instruction, increase student engagement and achievement, build students’ interest in STEAM careers, and deepen family engagement in STREAM learning.

ILI’s evaluation examines multiple dimensions of this work. We’re tracking student outcomes, including achievement, attendance, and STREAM habits of mind; studying how teachers develop confidence and skill in interdisciplinary STREAM instruction through professional learning and co-teaching; identifying the structural supports (planning time, coordination, curriculum alignment, clear roles) that enable effective collaboration;. and exploring how families engage with STREAM learning opportunities both at school and at Da Vinci Science Center.

This research contributes to a broader understanding of what it takes to build sustained, connected learning ecosystems in which schools and informal learning institutions work in partnership to support student learning and development.