By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – An after school program in Buffalo has received a grant from the National Science Foundation. "First Hand Learning" is the recipient of a five-year, $1.5 million grant.
"First Hand Learning" educates children through direct experiences. The National Science Foundation grant will provide funding to develop a program called "Science Firsthand." It will be an innovative after-school mentoring program. President of First Hand, Peter Dow, says the program works with community based organizations in Buffalo to provide science experiences for inner-city children attending public schools.
"What we're really talking about is pairing adult mentors with children, having the kids investigate things they're particularly interested in," Dow said. "They could be studying trees or squirrels. They could be studying aspects of the local habitat. Then, they would have access to local scientists who support them in doing these investigations."
Dow says they were inspired to apply for the grant after a successful after-school program with seventh and eighth graders who studied animals at the Buffalo Zoo. He says the students were so excited that Firsthand leaders decided to present the proposal to the foundation. Dow says Firsthand is available at a number of local community centers.
Dow says the after-school program basically provides an opportunity for city kids to engage in their own scientific investigation.