The study was commissioned by the Nevada STEM Networks and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation & Technology.
“Our committee set out to create an evaluation guide to support informal STEM providers, like Sierra Nevada Journeys, to create or improve systems to evaluate programs and in turn, improve outcomes,” said Sean Hill, Vice President of Advancement with Sierra Nevada Journeys. “We wanted to support the improvement of statewide impacts through these programs over time, and I’m thrilled to share this report with other providers.” Hill participated on the Nevada STEM Advisory Council’s Informal STEM Learning Environments (ISLE) Subcommittee along with several other Nevada-based educational organizations.
“One of the critical features of this report is information for evaluating the cultural relevance of programs and organizations. Students in Nevada that have historically been denied access to high quality STEM programs deserve no less, added Hill.
At Sierra Nevada Journeys, pre- and post-assessment of participants is part of every program. Additionally, follow-up evaluations are conducted with teachers who are responsible for bringing the program to their students. Most recently, Sierra Nevada Journeys also conducted a community needs assessment to better understand where there were opportunities to improve elementary programming with youth who have the least access to high-quality STEM education, namely, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, English Language Learners, and students with intellectual and physical disabilities.
You can find the entire evaluation guide here. Or, learn more about Nevada STEM Networks and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT). Also, OSIT has a number of reports covering a variety of STEM topics such as analysis of STEM occupations and top paying STEM jobs in Nevada.