American Public Media's 'Brains On!' Podcast Gets National Science Foundation Grant

Grant Recipient

AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA children's science podcast BRAINS ON! has received a NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advancing Informal STEM Learning program grant to partner with the SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA for a study on the impact of children’s podcasts on science learning and discovery.  The grant will help support production of 40 new episodes and will allow for research on who is listening and why, and how they engage with the content; the partnership is scheduled to run now through JUNE 2019, with a formal paper of findings to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal at that time and results to be discussed on an episode of the show.

“We are thrilled to bring our expertise in researching informal learning experiences to a new collaboration with the creators of the innovative and popular BRAINS ON! podcast,” said SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA Evaluation & Research Manager AMY GRACK NELSON. “This work will lead to a better understanding of how children and families engage in science learning and discovery. We are also hopeful that this research partnership can pave the way for more family-focused science podcasts.”

“We are excited to work with the SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA on this groundbreaking project given their leadership in creative learning spaces and our shared values to promote learning and curiosity,” said BRAINS ON! co-creator and host MOLLY BLOOM. “We regularly hear from parents and teachers about how BRAINS ON! ignites their children’s imagination, sparks family conversations and inspires further exploration in topics heard on the show from dinosaurs and the solar system to everyday functional items like cars and elevators."

“Only about 12% of the proposals NSF’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program receives are awarded funding, making it a highly competitive process,” added AISL Program Director SANDRA WELCH. “Reviewers commented that BRAINS ON! is filling a gap in providing innovative and engaging quality science learning to young children.“

« see more Net News