NSF Org:	DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Recipient:	LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Initial Amendment Date:	July 25, 2011
Latest Amendment Date:	July 25, 2011
Award Number:	1135260
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Alphonse Desena DRL  Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU  Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date:	September 1, 2011
End Date:	August 31, 2014 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$499,508.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$499,508.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2011 = $499,508.00
History of Investigator:	Patrick Daubenmire (Principal Investigator) pdauben@luc.edu Stacy Wenzel (Co-Principal Investigator) Nicole Kowrach (Co-Principal Investigator) Adam Tarnoff (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Loyola University of Chicago 820 N MICHIGAN AVE CHICAGO IL  US  60611-2147 (773)508-2471
Sponsor Congressional District:	05
Primary Place of Performance:	Loyola University Chicago 1032 W Sheridan Chicago IL  US  60660-1537
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	09
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	CVNBL4GDUKF3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	AISL
Primary Program Source:	04001112DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):	9177, SMET
Program Element Code(s):	725900
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

The goal of the FOCUSSS project is to engage high school students in a need-to-know pursuit for learning science that leads to the discovery of sustainable resources and practices for use in their communities. The project is a collaboration among Loyola University Chicago, Adler Planetarium, the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, and four local, urban high schools to construct student and family activities involving essential science concepts and tools within a sustainability context. Through this project, high school students engage in school and family activities around specific themes related to sustainable resources and practices in their communities, such as the availability and access to nutritious food, the quality of air or availability of clean water resources, the effective use of energy resources, or similar topics. The project intends to help students develop as informed and responsible citizens who utilize the principles and tools of basic science for their decisions and actions. The blended instructional model that deeply involves family and community will be studied for its potential to make formal learning relevant to the lives of children and to the health of the community.

As an exploratory project, the project tests a curriculum design that bridges formal and informal education and draws upon the resources in the community. Students interact with online learning communities that include their teachers, their families, fellow students, and sustainability organizations. Participating teachers are involved in intensive workshops that focus on developing sustainability principles within inquiry-based science curricula and lessons plans. Service projects provide opportunities for students to invite their families to participate and be supported in family workshops at local museums and in site visits to organizations involved in related initiatives. Data collection includes surveys administered to students and participating family members, observations, interviews, classroom assessments, and other open-ended instruments intended to surface themes and related variables. These will inform the design of the materials and activities as well as the assessments.

The project deliverables include fully implemented classroom lessons supported by family projects and online sustainability courses for students and families. The project fosters students and families connecting to their communities, resources and organizations in order to improve the quality of their neighborhoods and to promote individual, family, and public health.

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

The results of the two-year proof-of-concept FOCUSSS program suggest that participating in an aligned set of FOCUSSS activities that blends formal and informal learning experiences increases pro-environmental behavior.  This impact has occurred within a set of urban youth and their families, which include groups underrepresented in the sciences.  Additionally, these sets of activities, if students participate, demonstrate behavioral change regardless of cultural background, GPA, or parents' educational level.  This further seems to suggest that activities are not biased to one type of group.  The only bias identified so far is a selection bias.  Because students opt-in, there may already be an initial interest in sustainability science and practices.  With such an interest, though, the more students participated, the more change in behavior they demonstrated.    As a result, we think this program has unveiled some key ideas ideas around blending formal and informal environments with a consistent focus on science, sustainability, and service.  These ideas include:

1. It is important to design a program that targets all of the psycho-social determinants of sustainable behavior: problem awareness, intention to act, perceived behavioral control, attitude, moral norms, internal attribution, and socal norms.
2. Schools and classrooms are a necessary but not sufficient pathway to access the full range of behavioral determinants. Classroom interventions alone do not have a significant impact on behavior, but are critical for initiating problem awareness.
3. Classroom interventions combined with informal family and community interventions have the ability to access the full range of behavioral determinants and thus to positively change student behavior.
4. Empowered youth are able to positively impact their families (and communities) and thus create an iterative cycle that reinforces desired behavior.

Last Modified: 11/26/2014
Modified by: Patrick Daubenmire

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