New GK-12:Building Bridges from High School to Grad School: Inspiring Students Through Discovery-based Activities in Energy and the Environment

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS IN K-12 EDUCATION ABSTRACT PROPOSAL #: 0742436 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Deborah Kaminski INSTITUTION: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute TITLE: Building Bridges from High School to Grad School: Inspiring Students through Discovery-based Activities in Energy and the Environment Linking Rensselaer's cutting-edge research to local school districts will introduce high school students to advanced scientific concepts and emerging technologies in parallel with exposing graduate students to a challenging audience for dissemination of scientific research. The overall theme of the educational program will be Energy and the Environment, a highly engaging and vitally important topic in today's society. Each Graduate Research Fellow will be paired with a high school teacher, and this team will design and develop activities to effectively deliver scientific knowledge to high school students. Activities will include case studies, scenario building, interactive games, and an authentic research project, which the students will present in a regional Research Expo. The Fellow/K-12 teacher team will be guided by the Graduate Research Fellow's adviser as well as a Regional Teachers Advisory Group. Two of the school districts served have large minority populations from inner city environments. As part of our recruiting effort, Rensselaer's Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) center will identify exceptional minority graduate students who will become role models and mentors for the K-12 students. The project will educate high school students in basic principles of science and engineering, raise their awareness of energy and environmental concerns and technology, and get them excited about careers in science and engineering. Other objectives include improving the communication skills of the graduate fellows and investing them in K12 outreach initiatives. High school teachers will benefit from access to advanced scientific research and an improved understanding of research methodologies.