NFB STEM2U Regional Evaluation Report: Minneapolis

As part of a grant from the National Science Foundation, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is conducting regional STEM workshops in partnership with local science museums, entitled NFB STEM2U, for blind youth [youth], grades 3 – 6 and 9-12 [apprentices]. During the sixth and final regional workshop in Minneapolis, MN, the NFB operated two different programs simultaneously: one program for youth and a second program for their parents/caregivers. A third program, for the Science Museum of Minnesota staff, was conducted earlier to prepare the museum staff to assist with the youth program. A separate report will focus on the teen apprentices (grade 9 – 12) that participated in the leadership academy and all regional programs.

The youth program involved small groups of youth working with blind teen apprentices to complete STEM-related activities. The parent/caregiver program focused on STEM resources that could help their children, connecting parents to the NFB network and the resources it offers, and sharing ideas on how parents/caregivers could advocate for their child’s rights in the school and community setting.
The evaluation questions for this program were:

1. What happens in the regional programs for each of the audiences?
2. What are perceptions of each audience in terms of appropriateness, value, and intentions emerging from the regional program?
3. How does this experience affect the individual and their understanding of blind youth and STEM?

The Lifelong Learning Group was contracted to conduct an evaluation for the grant, focusing on the affective outcomes of the project through youth and adult perceptions of the efficacy and value of the training and experience from their perspective.