  Underrepresentation in STEM fields starts early, with elementary students
already showing differences based on gender and race in their interest in
science, belief in their ability to do science, and belief that their personal
identity aligns with being a scientist. Here we discuss an out-of-school time
astronomy program that focuses on enriching science education in under-served
school systems to promote students' excitement about science and help them see
scientists as people just like them. Before, after, and throughout the program,
we survey students on their perceptions of science, themselves, and their
activities. We find that over the course of our program, students become more
confident in their science abilities. Student ideas about science remain
unchanged, but largely align with Nature of Science ideals. We also find that
on days that students report they were creative and asked questions, they were
more likely to say they felt like a scientist and were interested in the day's
topic. Our results suggest that incorporating creativity and opportunities to
ask questions can be just as important as doing experiments for generating
interest in and a sense of participating in science.
