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Rodríguez  \nYou have to stick with it. It takes time, patience, trial and error, failure, and persistence. It is almost never perfect or finished, but, with a good team, you can build something that works. These are the lessons youth learn when building a robot, as many do in the out-of-school time (OST) programs supported by the initiative described in this paper.  \nSimilarly, implementing high-quality, sustainable programming in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across the largest publicly funded OST system in the country took time, teamwork, and persistence. The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the New York Academy of Sciences collaborated to develop areplicable program model for increasing the capacity of OST organizations to provide STEM learning opportunities. The process of developing this model and the lessons we learned provide a roadmap for other OST systems looking to enhance program capacity.  \nThe importance of increasing the number of Americans entering STEM fields is well documented. The  \nSTEM workforce accounts for more than 50 percent of the nation’s sustained economic growth (U. S. Department of Labor, 2007). Our nation’s ability to develop this workforce is an issue of equity and economic vitality; workers and citizens with solid STEM skills are indispensable to our international competitiveness and ongoing innovation. In the next few years, 70 percent of all jobs created—not just those in technical fields—will require some STEM competency (Thomasian, 2011) and  \nMEGHAN GROOME, Ph. D., is the executive director of education and public programs at the New York Academy of Sciences. She is a principal investigator on a $2.95 million collaborative grant between the Academy and the State University of New York. She was a senior policy analyst with the National Governors Association, where she worked on the Innovation America initiative and co-authored Building a STEM Agenda , a framework for improving science education pipelines. LINDA M. RODRíGuEz , M.A., is the assistant commissioner for capacity building at the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development. She oversees DYCD’s technical assistance work with community-based organizations and manages the quality assurance system used to evaluate providers. She also organized the city’s first STEM-themed professional development conference, attended by more than 300 afterschool leaders. Prior to joining DYCD, she worked for national youth and workforce development intermediaries.  \nkey 21st century skills such as critical thinking; active learning; and mathematical, inductive, and deductive reasoning. Individuals without these skills will effectively be shut out of many employment opportunities and, in many cases, relegated to low-wage, low-skill jobs (Thomasian, 2011).  \nOST programs are uniquely positioned to inspire and prepare youth to enter STEM fields by improving academic proficiency and building interest in STEM disciplines at an early age (New York State Afterschool Network & The AfterSchool Corporation, 2012). Compared to traditional school structures, OST programs typically offer smaller class sizes, less focus on tests, and more fluid uses of time. OST programs can also play a significant role in increasing the staggeringly low numbers of students of color, women, and low-income youth in STEM disciplines (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007) because many programs are located in large urban school districts or community-based centers in lowincome neighborhoods (Brisson et al., 2010). For example, most of the OST programs DYCD funds through contracts with community-based organizations (CBOs) across New York City are located in economi-  \nnational average (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). More distressingly, the percentages of Hispanic and Black s","cbCaiePMMfsMlU74","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiePMMfsMlU74","pdf",1113672,"English","# STEM Focus\n## How to Build a Robot\n## Strengthening STEM Programming Across an OST System\n## Why OST Programs Matter for STEM Access","[{\"question\":\"What mindset and process do youth learn when building a robot?\",\"answer\":\"They learn to persist through time, patience, trial and error, and even failure. The work may not be perfect or finished, but a good team can build something that functions.\"},{\"question\":\"Why did the NYC organizations collaborate on STEM programming for OST providers?\",\"answer\":\"They aimed to develop a replicable program model that increases the capacity of OST organizations to deliver STEM learning opportunities. The paper presents both the development process and lessons learned.\"},{\"question\":\"How do OST programs help more youth enter STEM fields?\",\"answer\":\"OST programs provide smaller class sizes, less test focus, and more flexible time use, helping inspire interest early. They also support greater participation of students of color, women, and low-income youth through programs located in urban and community-based settings.\"}]","STEM FOCUS - How to Build a Robot | PDF",23]