“Growing Scientists” A Cross-Organizational Triumph
A consortium of STEAM-based cultural institutions in and around Denver, CO come together to run this ambitious and innovative program.
The Growing Scientists Program is a robust collaboration between Title I schools, families, and four STEAM-rich cultural organizations: Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Butterfly Pavilion, Colorado Ballet, and Denver Botanic Gardens. Through real world experiences and powerful science learning, the program builds a community of learners.
A Growing Scientists School Year Includes:
Teacher Orientation Meetings in August and January
Teachers receive science materials for their classrooms
Students participate in a total of three Growing Scientists programs:
A classroom program at their school by their primary institution
Kindergarten – Colorado Ballet
First Grade – Butterfly Pavilion
Second Grade – Denver Botanic Gardens
Third Grade – Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
A field trip to their partner institution
A second experience with a different partner institution
Families attend Family Night at one of the partner institution
Families receive a one-year free pass to visit Butterfly Pavilion and Denver Botanic Gardens
To learn more about how this incredible program operates, I conducted a series of interviews with some of the staff who work together to make it happen.
Interview With Matt Cole
Director of Education
Denver Botanic Gardens
I got on a call with Matt to talk about how Denver Botanic Gardens and The Children’s Museum first started Growing Scientists, and what the program looks like today. We started off by discussing the garden’s mission—connecting people to plants—and its four core values:
Relevance
Transformation
Diversity
Sustainability
Topics covered include:
The process for partnership when starting and subsequently expanding Growing Scientists
The goals and objectives of the program
Factors that have contributed to the program’s success
Obstacles the organization has faced in running Growing Scientists
The program’s evolution over time
How the partners have sustained the program
Advice for other organizations looking to run a similar program
Key Takeaways
Process for Partnership
The success of DBG and the Children’s Museum’s Urban Advantage program inspired the partnerships for Growing Scientists. The original idea was for three museums to partner together to make a program they couldn’t accomplish on their own. The Children’s Museum first gathered the players together. They got a new Director of Education who had worked with Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG) in the past on their Urban Advantage program, who proposed joining together to apply for grant funding. The idea was structured around each organization working with a grade (1st through 3rd); making programming informed by science standards; engaging students; and giving out free materials, programs and passes. The Butterfly Pavilion worked with 1st graders, Denver Botanic Gardens with second graders, and the Children’s Museum with third graders. Denver School District and Adams County School District both had some interest in the program as it was forming, leading to a co-creative process between schools and the Growing Scientists organizations.
Eventually, the Children’s Museum left the consortium, opening the door for new organizations to join and work with kindergarten and 4th graders. This search for new partners led DBG to team up with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and Colorado Ballet. Colorado Ballet was found through the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) registry, and contacted to ask if they would serve as the Kindergarten education partner.
The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) in Colorado is a marvel of political agreement, founded in the late ‘80s in response to a severe economic downturn impacting Denver. It funds organizations through a tax of one cent for every ten dollars, and must be reauthorized every 10-15 years. The Collaborative of the SCFD is a great connector; many organizations know one another through the meetings, and end up collaborating as a result.
Goals/Objectives
The goal was to partner with schools who had a genuine interest in expanding opportunities for STEAM education through site visits and lessons with educators, all at no cost to them. The partners aimed to provide education, resources, and free visits for Denver area schools. They wanted families to follow up after the school visit, for a variety of schools and grades to be involved, and for participating schools to be close to the museums. DBG found that their resources aligned well with 2nd grade Colorado science standards, which include a great deal of material on plants. The Children’s Museum started out working with 3rd grade, as there was relevant non- life science material. The organizations placed a strong emphasis on giving teachers science materials they could use in addition to in-person workshops and tours. The program also aims to improve attendance at at-risk schools and reach families, reducing barriers of entry for experiences that would likely be cost-prohibitive otherwise.
As interest in teacher professional development has waned over time and teachers have grown more comfortable with science education, the goal has shifted from helping elementary school teachers teach science, to helping teachers with whatever supports their own teaching aspirations.
Factors for Success
Growing Scientists operates by consensus, requiring a great deal of communication and trust. Stability of the parent organizations has been tantamount to the program’s success—they have achieved continuity through careful preservation of programmatic knowledge even in the face of turnover. Essential knowledge of timelines and the order of operations has been maintained in this way. Matt cites five qualities as pivotal to the success of Growing Scientists:
Flexibility
Trust
Equality
Patience
Determination.
Lastly, Cole emphasizes, the program was possible because the partners made a leap of faith.
Obstacles/Challenges
Rocky Mountain Bird Conservancy is on state land. Can’t offer free visits.
Staff turnover — new staff need extensive training to understand the program.
Funding is always top of mind for the Growing Scientists coalition. The program needed strong evaluation to support grant applications. Longtime evaluator Maggie Miller has supported the program in this respect.
Evolution Over Time:
Growing Scientists was initially focused on partnering with underfunded Denver area schools. Now that this has largely been accomplished, the focus has shifted to building relationships with families in the community.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the Butterfly Pavilion’s head of education outreach said they could no longer offer their part of the program. Growing Scientists didn’t do family gatherings that spring, but instead shifted to online programming. DBG was able to pick up some slack for partners who were struggling more and provide online programs for other grade levels. Eventually the Butterfly Pavilion returned, and now there are plans in the works to bring Denver Urban Gardens into Growing Scientists.
Funding/Sustainability
After several years in its original configuration, the program’s sustainability was re-assessed. Each institution originally funded their part of the program themselves. Denver Botanic Gardens prioritized in-kind support for classrooms, and over time greater emphasis was placed on providing science materials for teachers.
Advice for Other Organizations
If possible, go for large grants, rather than assembling a budget piecemeal through smaller ones.
Find a great evaluator.
Turnover is inevitable; find ways to preserve institutional memory.
Interview With Cassie Wilson
Manager of Education and Community Engagement
Colorado Ballet
Cassie and I discussed how the Colorado Ballet fits into a program that was built around nature education, and how its involvement fulfills the five key goals of the organization:
Making dance and movement more accessible to the community as a whole
Promoting dance as part of a healthy lifestyle
Teaching people to be creative and express themselves through dance and movement
Opening up the possibility for social-emotional learning
Fostering an appreciation for dance or ballet
Topics we cover in the interview include:
How Colorado Ballet came to be involved in Growing Scientists
The role of the Collaborative of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) in the formation of the Growing Scientists partnerships
Challenges/Obstacles Colorado Ballet has faced during its involvement in Growing Scientists over the last three years
How Colorado Ballet communicates with the other partners in Growing Scientists
How the program is evaluated
How the program is funded
How the partners conduct outreach and expand the program
Colorado Ballet’s involvement with community schools in the Denver area
Advice for organizations looking to run a similar program
Key Takeaways
Process for Partnership
The Growing Scientists consortium reached out to Colorado Ballet after the Children’s Museum stepped away, and they needed someone to work with kindergarteners. Wilson in part credits the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) for bringing them in contact with the other Growing Scientists organizations. There is a non-profit membership organization called The Collaborative of the SCFD, which is composed of Tier I and Tier II STEAM organizations funded by the SCFD. It was in these meetings where much of the Growing Scientists consortium met.
While historically the program primarily focused on science, this partnership presented an opportunity to fulfill the arts component of STEAM education. In joining Growing Scientists, Colorado Ballet has been able to expand its connections within its community and further its five main impact objectives. Through the program, they get to work with seven schools—five in the Denver school district, and two in Adams County.
Even before joining Growing Scientists, Colorado Ballet had programming which provided education in math, science, literacy, social studies, and social justice, so they had much curricular material from which to draw. While rooted in performing arts, the organization has extensive experience using the arts for educational purposes and translating dance into concrete lessons.
Challenges/Obstacles
Wilson has found that there have been very few challenges regarding their partnerships with the other Growing Scientists organizations. The most difficult period occurred when one of the program’s veterans, who had been there since its founding, moved on from her position. This required a reestablishment of roles and realignment of the goals of their meetings. The pandemic, of course, has also presented its own challenges regarding what programming can realistically be offered.
However, most obstacles, she says, lie in communicating with teachers and getting them to follow the program’s timeline. Wilson often finds it difficult to get teachers to reply, fill out forms, stay consistent about plans and logistics, and keep from canceling at the last minute. The prevalence of these challenges varies widely from one school to another.
The fact that participation in Growing Scientists is free for schools can actually be an issue—because there is no associated cost, sometimes there are difficulties with buy-in among participants. Striking a balance between getting schools to fully commit to the program without creating a financial barrier has been an ongoing challenge for the program.
Communication
To stay on track and up to date, the Growing Scientists consortium typically holds biweekly meetings during the school year. During the summer, they hold a few meetings to plan and prepare for the coming year. In August, they hold an orientation with participating schools in order to introduce the program, share the timeline, and, ideally, get important paperwork filled out. They meet with school again in January to check in, get an update on how things are going, and offer any additional support that may be needed. At the end of the year the program has its “Family Night,” a big celebration hosted by either Denver Botanic Gardens or the Butterfly Pavilion.
Evaluation
The Growing Scientists coalition hired a consultant to evaluate the program, who has been instrumental in improving its iterations. Since then, Wilson explains, teacher surveys have become the most important tool in their evaluation arsenal. With the age group that Colorado Ballet works with, the children are simply too young to provide any usable feedback.
Outreach
When trying to get more schools involved in the program, the Growing Scientists partners divide the outreach efforts amongst themselves. They attempt to establish contact with the schools via an email and a phone call, describing the program and attaching their Letter of Agreement. Last year, they reached out to 10 different schools in Adams County and failed to hear back from any of them, despite the fact that participation in the program is free. Wilson ascribes this to the uncertainty of the pandemic, and the more immediate challenges it has presented. Wilson hopes that in the ‘22-’23 school year, schools will feel better prepared to add new programming and expansion will be easier.
Community Schools
When I asked Wilson about community schools in the area, she said she was familiar with a number of them, including C3 and CMS Community School, and has spoken with the Enrichment Coordinator at the latter. Wilson explained that, while none of these schools were involved with Growing Scientists, they did have other programs in which they did participate, including after-school programming, assemblies, and their student matinee program.
Funding
Because grant funding is unpredictable, Colorado Ballet always writes the full cost of Growing Scientists into their operating budget each year. However, the program is a very strong candidate for a number of national and local grants, so it is not uncommon for it to be awarded substantial funding.
Advice for Other Organizations
When developing programs, Wilson advises other organizations to be very strategic regarding what it is they are trying to accomplish. When several organizations partner together, each has its own unique set of goals and values. The role each partner serves must be in alignment with these goals and values for the team to cohere.
Wilson also recommends thoughtfully delegating roles and authority. While it is important to approach decisions democratically, she warns that if no one feels empowered to speak their voice and make a judgment call, paralysis can result.
Interview With Sherry Nickolaus
Education Director
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Sherry and I sat down at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies’ headquarters at the Old Stone House Environmental Learning Center at Barr Lake State Park in Brighton, CO, to discuss the nature of the organization's involvement with Growing Scientists, the role played by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, and the victories and challenges they have encountered along the way.
Key Takeaways
Program Success:
The partners work very well together. The last Family Nature Night was wildly successful, with a huge turnout. At these events, each organization in Growing Scientists has a booth with activities for families to engage in. They charter buses to ensure transportation is not a barrier for any families who want to participate.
Process for Partnership
Like the Colorado Ballet, the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies connected with Denver Botanic Gardens and the Butterfly Pavilion through the Collaborative of the SCFD.
Evaluation:
The entire Growing Scientists collaborative uses the same evaluator. I asked Nickolaus if they have been able to ascertain whether family participation in Growing Scientists leads to more engagement with the affiliated organizations in other areas, such as visitation or different programs. She explained that this has been discussed with the evaluator, but it has thus far been impossible to determine. The Bird Conservancy does have plans to have their program participants to complete surveys as a requirement to participate in order to get a more complete set of data.
Challenges:
By and large the schools really seem to value Growing Scientists. However, they do face some challenges with school communication and teacher engagement. Some teachers don't schedule their visits, or have to move their dates around because they failed to schedule buses. Nickolaus credits some of these issues with the fact that the program is free. However, there are some accountability measures in place, as the Growing Scientists organizations do report progress to school principals.
Funding
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is a tier II organization in the SCFD, meaning they are allocated funds each year based on their organization's size and visitation. These are unrestricted funds, 60% of which go toward the education team, while the remaining 40% is used in a general capacity.
Objectives
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies joined Growing Scientists in order to increase their reach in an impactful way. They appreciated the multiple touch points the program provided—seeing the same kids multiple times throughout the year, and working with the same teachers each year. And while they have worked with Title I schools before, it is rare to have such a rich opportunity to bring students out of the city to have meaningful experiences in a natural landscape that most of them have never seen before. The program covers transportation, and families get passes to visit Denver Botanic Gardens free of charge.
While at first Nickolaus struggled to figure out how the Bird Conservancy fit into the Growing Scientists consortium, she now feels the diversity of the partner organizations is a strength. Each provides a very different, yet equally rich, opportunity for learning for different grade levels. She credits the collaborative spirit of all of the organizations, as well as the strong relationships they have formed with their partner schools, for the program's success.
Advice to Other Organizations
Write it down. Get together and have a strong plan in place before you start. Memoranda of understanding and letters of intent are key—they can always be adjusted as needed, but it is essential to establish a clear set of expectations.
