Peer coaching is proposed as a STEM strategy for after school programs. It fosters youth development by giving students ownership and autonomy over peer teaching. Peer coaches can help other students grasp difficult concepts through extra support. After school programs provide an ideal setting for peer coaching as they promote skill building, supportive relationships, and responsibility. Teens make good peer coaches as they can communicate content simply and inspire excitement. Programs should select coaches based on leadership abilities and train them on teaching skills, conflict resolution, and lesson content like UV beads and stomp rockets. Both short and long-term planning are needed to implement an effective peer coaching program.

1. Kids Taking Over!
Peer Coaching as a STEM Strategy
Gail Hutchison ~ Dominique Gardner ~ Maggie Goodman ~ Brett Nicholas
National After School Association Conference-DC
March 10, 2015

2. Why do Peer Coaching?
Peer Coaching
• Fosters youth development and community investment
• Ownership and Autonomy
• Promotes a curiosity in STEM and a deeper understanding
of STEM topics
• The power of someone having purpose

3. Peer Coaching program objectives and quality After School
programs share these standards:
After School as a Perfect Setting
Peer Coaching
• Opportunities for skill building.
• Integration of family, school and
community efforts.
• Consistent rules and expectations;
continuity and predictability.
• Supportive relationships characterized
by warmth and closeness.
• Connectedness, caring, support and
responsiveness.
• Opportunities to belong and for
meaningful inclusion regardless of
demographics or abilities.
• Fosters responsibility and meaningful
challenge.
(Eccles et. al., 2002).

4. Understaffed Programs
• Use teens that know your program when you need an extra set of hands!
Positive Reinforcement of Program Participants
• Create more opportunities for youth leadership to be more engaged and
excited. This will lead to program growth.
• Youth will be more inclined to learn and foster a positive environment.
When a Student Needs Extra Support
• Try developing a peer coach to serve his or her
peers and help them grasp difficult STEM concepts.
• To Inspire kids to reach their full STEM potential.
When are Peer Coaches Useful?
Peer Coaching

5. • Always willing to participate and serve.
• Demonstrate how to talk to audiences of all
ages.
• Learn content quickly and can communicate
content in the simplest terms.
• Show leadership capabilities.
• Radiate an excitement that is contagious.
Selection
Peer Coaching

6. Positive Effects
Peer Coaching

7. MSI Peer Coaches in Action
Peer Coaching

8. Training
Peer Coaching
Who will your peer coaches be serving?
How to build on their strengths and prepare them to teach
independently:
• Begin with a pre-developed script.
• Have teens make it their own script that emphasizes inquiry.
• Teaching communication skills activities using improv, theater, and role playing.
• Model how to teach when interacting with younger participants.
• Conflict resolution/professionalism.

9. Quick Start Lesson Package for Peer Coaches
Peer Coaching
UV Beads
Stomp
Rockets
Fingerprinting
Garden
in a Glove
Newspaper
Tents

10. Take some time now to organize your
thoughts, make some preliminary choices for
your peer coaching team and think about
where they could best serve your program.
Initial Planning
Peer Coaching

11. • Determine what audience would be best suited for peer coaching.
• What programs do you currently have in place that youth could
facilitate? Choose activities and determine leadership
development exercises that fit your group and train your peer
coaches by modeling these lessons/behaviors.
• What can you implement in the next six months from what you
learned today?
Short Term and Long Term Planning
Peer Coaching

12. Recap
Peer Coaching
• Fosters youth development and community investment
• Ownership and Autonomy
• Promotes a curiosity in STEM and a deeper understanding of STEM
topics
• The power of someone having purpose

14. Here are a few ideas of additional resources
that might help you:
Click2Science
www.click2sciencepd.org
MSI-Chicago Lesson Resources
http://www.msichicago.org/programs/summer-brain-games/
http://www.msichicago.org/education/educator-resources/classroom-activities/
MSI Science Clubs Slideshare Page
www.slideshare.net/msiscienceclubs
Don’t forget us! We’re here to help you any way we can.
Dominique Gardner (773) 947-3185, dominique.gardner@msichicago.org
Maggie Goodman (773) 753-1379, maggie.goodman@msichicago.org
Gail Hutchison (773) 753-3874, gail.hutchison@msichicago.org
Brett Nicholas (773) 753-6256, brett.nicholas@msichicago.org
Resources
Peer Coaching