Developing Teen Café Programming for Diverse Audiences

The national Teen Science Café Network (teensciencecafe.org) connects teens with scientists from a range of STEM disciplines in order to increase their understanding and appreciation of the nature of science and the lives of scientists. In Colorado, the Science Discovery Teen Café, based at the University of Colorado, Boulder, works with diverse teen audiences in the Boulder/Denver-area. Each month, a scientist conducts two cafés in different locations, including Boulder, Denver and Longmont. Language, educational and cultural differences pose significant challenges for recruiting students, creating a welcoming environment, designing café presentations and related activities, and facilitating conversation and interaction among students who frequently come from very different backgrounds. We will share some of our challenges, successes and lessons learned from the first year of our Café program.