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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

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

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

Summer Camps Team

Seth Van Doren

BSCS Science Learning

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

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

External Evaluations Team

Valerie Knight-Williams

Knight-Williams, Inc.

Rachael Dobrowolski

Knight-Williams, Inc.

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

  • Website design is created by Inquirium, LLC. and BSCS Science Learning

  • Mobile apps and games are developed by Matt Lewandowski

  • Photos and Illustrations by Emily Maletz Graphic Design.

  • Whispers in the Wind illustrations by Wilma Miranda

Partner Institutions and 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. 
 

  • Sciencenter

  • Museum of Life and Science

  • Knight-Williams Inc. 

  • ¡Explora!

  • El Centro Hispano

  • Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico 

  • Columbia Memorial Space Center

  • Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History

  • Children’s Museum of Brownsville

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