ABOUT US
Making Waves with Radio is a design partnership of museum educators, designers, engineers, education researchers and evaluators working together with museums, community organizations, and science centers to develop a suite of informal STEM education resources. These mobile-ready resources are designed to raise awareness and understanding of radio frequency communication and Wi-Fi technologies; and build interest and engagement in future technical careers.
Making Waves with Radio
Making Waves with Radio is a design partnership of museum educators, designers, engineers, education researchers and evaluators working together with museums, community organizations, and science centers to develop a suite of informal STEM education resources. These mobile-ready resources are designed to raise awareness and understanding of radio frequency communication and Wi-Fi technologies; and build interest and engagement in future technical careers.
Led by BSCS Science Learning, the partnership includes the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco,CA, the CodeCraft Group at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC, the Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY, Explora in Albuquerque, NM, Global Alliance of Community Science Workshops, Teknikio, and others.
Our History
The Making Waves with Radio project began in October 2020 with a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program and the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. With a vision for widespread radio literacy – to raise awareness and deeper understanding of radio science, wireless technologies, and radio in society – the team established a goal to provide a suite of pedagogical activity designs, digital apps, and an online learning platform to empower STEM professionals in academia, industry, and informal education in engaging with youth and the public about radio frequency communications. In order to achieve this goal, the team established a network of informal educators, leaders, developers, and community partners to co-design the Making Waves experiences.
Our Team
Multiple researchers, designers, curriculum developers, museum educators, technology innovators co-constructed the educational materials and experiences.
Leadership & Project Staff
Dr. Sherry Hsi
BSCS Science Learning
Dr. Darrell Porcello
Children’s Creativity Museum, NISE Network
Dr. HyunJoo Oh
Georgia Institute of Technology
Tyler Morris-Rains
BSCS Science Learning
Technology Prototyping & Kits Team
HyunJoo Oh
CodeCraft Group at Georgia Technology
Noah Posner
CodeCraft Group at Georgia Technology
Jin Yu
CodeCraft Group at Georgia Technology
Julio De Pereda Banda
CodeCraft Group at Georgia Technology
Jinzhi Ye
CodeCraft Group at Georgia Technology
Museum Team
Darrell Porcello
Children’s Creativity Museum
Ali Jackson
ScienceCenter
Caroline Frigon
ScienceCenter
Alyssa Johnson
ScienceCenter
Steve Scholle
Museum of Life and Science
David Knudsen
Museum of Life and Science
Diego Rojas
BSCS Science Learning
Colin Dixon
BSCS Science Learning
Seth Van Doren
BSCS Science Learning
External Evaluations Team
Valerie Knight-Williams
Knight-Williams, Inc.
Rachael Dobrowolski
Knight-Williams, Inc.
Summer Camps Team
Sherry Hsi
BSCS Science Learning
Nancy Hopkins-Evans
BSCS Science Learning
Guy Ollison
BSCS Science Learning
Diego Rojas
BSCS Science Learning
Vanessa Svilha
University of New Mexico
Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow
University of New Mexico
Ruben Dario Lopez Parra
University of New Mexico
Ryan Cain
Weber State University
Tara Henderson
Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum
Emily McGinty
Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum
Don Bland
Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum
Kevin Dilley
Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum
Our Approach
Using co-design with key audiences to gather values and multiple voices, the Making Waves with Radio team established key “big ideas” and content frameworks to guide the project. The CodeCraft Group at the Georgia Institute of Technology led the prototyping of a craft-based radio toolkit and RFID materials. BSCS Science Learning led the design and development of youth radio science camps to incorporate a storyline and project-based learning. The Children’s Creativity Museum led a cohort of museums from the the National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network including Sciencenter and the Museum of Life and Science, to create all hands-on activities and mobile apps aimed at museum educators. This digital kit, available in both English and Spanish, was the basis of a community of practice of Latiné-serving institutions provided testing and critical peer feedback. All project partners worked with Knight-Williams Inc, who led the front-end and summative evaluation of the suite of activities, apps, and platforms to determine how the resources were being utilized by informal educators, youth participants, and museum visitors.
Equity Statement
Making Waves with Radio hopes to create an equitable and inclusive learning opportunity that respects all identities, backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures. We believe in learning that encourages curiosity, motivates ongoing exploration, and instills a sense of ownership, inspiring learners to share their knowledge with others. It is our responsibility to promote inclusive engagement with historically marginalized groups in education and technology, challenge stereotypes, and highlight STEM's relevance to communities, and shed light on technology's uneven societal impacts. All while encouraging technological and societal innovation by emphasizing the interconnectedness of technology and society, enhancing transparency, and equipping individuals of all ages to be innovative contributors in the tech-driven world.
Credits & Acknowledgements
This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under award number #2053160. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Science Foundation.
Technology Development
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Website design is created by Inquirium, LLC. and BSCS Science Learning
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Mobile apps and games are developed by Matt Lewandowski
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Photos and Illustrations by Emily Maletz Graphic Design.
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Whispers in the Wind illustrations by Wilma Miranda
Partner Institutions & Community of Practice Member Organizations
Team members from across the United States worked collaboratively to develop a suite of informal education tools to help people who may be unfamiliar with radio waves and how they are used in everyday life.
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Sciencenter
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Museum of Life and Science
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Knight-Williams Inc.
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¡Explora!
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El Centro Hispano
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Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
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Columbia Memorial Space Center
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Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History
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Children’s Museum of Brownsville
Contact Us
Email Sherry Hsi at shsi@bscs.org