RET Site: Inquiry-based Bioengineering Research and Design Experiences for Middle-School Teachers

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides funding for a 3 year standard award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Site program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), entitled, "RET Site: Inquiry-based Bioengineering Research and Design Experiences for Middle-School Teachers," under the direction of Dr. Terri A. Camesano. For this program, WPI will recruit 21 middle-school science teachers (7 per summer) primarily from Worcester Public Schools to participate in a 6-week long intensive summer research experience in the Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park, a newly constructed facility that houses all of WPI's research facilities in bioengineering. Teachers will work alongside faculty and graduate students, participating in high-level research projects in fields such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and infection control on biomaterials. The long-term goals of WPI's RET in Engineering Site program are to motivate and improve middle school student-learning in engineering and establish a collaborative partnership between the Worcester middle-school teachers and WPI engineering faculty through inquiry-based experiences in bioengineering.