Collaborative Partnerships

ScienceQuest works with many types of after school programs to expand and improve the academic quality of their offerings for 10 - 14 year olds. ScienceQuest supplies a methodological framework - the I Search - as well as resources, assistance and connections to program staff and volunteer coaches so that they can do what they do best: connect with kids on science and technology projects.

ScienceQuest collaborates with after school program staff by providing materials for recruiting, selecting, training and supporting volunteers from the community, local colleges or local businesses. ScienceQuest staff make connections with local science institutions so that their resources can be part of each ScienceQuest team's exploration. The staff provides assistance through a web site help desk and through science experts who can consult by phone or email on project ideas.

The after school/computer center coordinators incorporate ScienceQuest into their programs as fits best - some add it to existing programming, others create structured time for youth that did not previously exist. Some use staff to serve as coaches, others take advantage of ScienceQuest to help them find coaches. ScienceQuest is unique at each site.

In the first year of projects, teams worked at:

• Battle Farms Village Community Learning Center, Brockton, MA
• Camelot Court Community Learning Center, Allston, MA
• Castle Square Tenants Organization, South End, MA
  
• Cruz Management Computer Learning Center, Roxbury, MA
  
• Freedom House Black Church Project, Roxbury, MA
  
• High Point Village Community Learning Center, Roslindale, MA
  
• Mystic Housing Authority Child Care Program, Somerville, MA
  
• Pelham Apartments Community Learning Center, Framingham, MA
• Roxbury MultiService Center, Roxbury, MA
  

The following institutions contributed their resources to teams:

• New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
  
• Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA
  
• Zoo New England, Dorchester, MA
  
• MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA
  
• The Museum of Science, Cambridge, MA
  
• The Sports Museum of New England, Boston, MA
  

We have also worked with the following organizations:

• Patriots' Trail Girl Scout Council
  
• Tufts Medical School Community Service Learning Program
  
• Northeastern University
  
• Simmons College School of Education
  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  
• Center for Family Work and Community, Umass, Lowell
  
• Project Learning Tree at the MA Department of Environmental Management
  
• Emerson College
  
• Bridgewater State University
  
• Katherine Gibbs School

In June 2002, ScienceQuest launched nationally with following CTC organizations:

• ACENet, Athens OH
• Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, Rapid City, SD
• Bridge Project, Denver, CO
• The Family Investment Center, Chicago, IL
• First Baptist CDC, Somerset, NJ
• Harlem Partnership Center, Inc. Harlem, NY
• Houston Community College, Houston, TX
• MIGIZI, Minneapolis, MN
• Ministry in Action, Lufkin, TX
• Odem-Edroy ISD, Odem, TX
• Parents Lets Unite for Kids (PLUK), Billings, MT
• Perry School Community Service Center, Washington, DC
• Project TECH, Los Angelos, CA
• VOA Education Center, Columbus, OH
• Workforce Systems/Springfield Learning Center, Springfield, IL

View pictures of the National ScienceQuest training in Austin, TX.