How can you incorporate real-world experiences into your outreach program?

1 Identify your goals and outcomes

Before you plan any real-world experience, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Think about the learning objectives, skills, and competencies that you want your students to develop or demonstrate through the experience. Also, consider the interests, needs, and backgrounds of your students and how they relate to the experience. For example, if you want to expose your students to different career pathways in STEM, you might want to align your experience with the standards and expectations of the industry or academia.

2 Research and network with potential partners

Once you have your goals and outcomes in mind, you need to find and connect with potential partners who can provide or facilitate the real-world experience. Depending on your subject and budget, you might look for local businesses, organizations, institutions, or professionals who are willing to collaborate with you. You can use online platforms, social media, newsletters, or word-of-mouth to reach out to them and explain your purpose and vision. You might also want to ask for referrals, testimonials, or feedback from other educators who have worked with them before.

3 Design and prepare the experience

After you have secured a partner, you need to design and prepare the experience together. You should communicate clearly and regularly with your partner and make sure that you both agree on the logistics, expectations, and outcomes of the experience. You should also involve your students in the process and prepare them for the experience. You can do this by providing them with background information, learning materials, questions, or tasks that will help them make the most of the experience. You might also want to set some ground rules, norms, or guidelines for the behavior and participation of your students.

5 Evaluate and celebrate the experience

The final step is to evaluate and celebrate the experience. You should analyze and interpret the data that you collected and compare it with your goals and outcomes. You should also solicit feedback from your partner, your students, and yourself on the strengths and weaknesses of the experience. You should use this feedback to improve and refine your future experiences. You should also acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and learnings of your students and your partner. You can do this by giving certificates, awards, or tokens of appreciation, or by showcasing the work or products of your students.