How do we interest more children in science -- particularly those who come from communities not well served by classroom, informal, or after-school science programs?

During the fall of 2010, the Noyce Foundation partnered with Techbridge, the World Café Community Foundation, and Youth Radio to host a series of conversations on science with 7th and 8th graders from Edendale Middle School in San Lorenzo, California. We talked both to students interested in science and to those who had little or no interest in the subject. We wanted to know how both groups viewed science, whether they felt that science was important in their lives, and how they'd recommend to both friends and parents that science matters. We also wanted to involve the kids themselves in designing and hosting these conversations. Highlights of these conversations can be seen in the video "Science for All," available from the Noyce Foundation. We learned that kids do have very important insights and ideas to share. Less