RET Site: Research to Inspire Students in Engineering through commUnity Partnerships (RISE UP)

University Of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Investigators

Abstract

As the second largest sector in the US economy at 12% of Gross Domestic Product, advanced manufacturing is viewed as an enabler for national security, jobs creation, and economic growth. The objective of this Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering site, Research to Inspire Students in Engineering through commUnity Partnerships (RISE UP), at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is to create partnerships between UNH, local school systems, and industry (specifically the manufacturing sector) to improve student learning through teacher development/research training and academic year follow-up activities. Participants will be provided the opportunity to engage industrial-based research projects, within a broad theme of micro-scale phenomena, mathematical modeling, and material behavior. The RET program will target rural and urban schools, with an aim to attract underrepresented groups, including first-generation college students. The overall goal is to effectively incorporate activities that integrate science and engineering practices into pre-college curricula and thus attract and motivate young people to engineering disciplines. In addition, the inclusion of rural and urban schools and women faculty as mentors has the potential to attract underrepresented individuals to engineering, including first generation college students. Each summer over the three-year grant period, the RISE UP Site will host a cohort of 12 pre- and in-service secondary STEM teachers and community college faculty in a 7-week experience (including orientation, intensive research, curriculum development, field trips to local companies, and academic year follow-up which includes visits to classrooms by graduate student, faculty and industrial mentors). The teachers will be active participants within their selected research groups and conduct research projects guided by the graduate students, faculty, and industrial mentors. The intellectual merit of RISE UP lies in implementing authentic research to develop engineering practices in classrooms, and assessing the impact on teachers. How teacher immersion in research projects translates into more effective teaching; content understanding and motivation for teachers; and increased student learning and interest in pursuing engineering careers will be evaluated. The effect of the industrial focus and participation in the project will also be assessed. The UNH faculty and graduate students will experience the teachers' perspectives in designing activities that engage a variety of student learners. The project will bring together a sustainable community of partners to collaborate on developing and implementing authentic science and engineering practices in classrooms that can generate a broader impact across the nation.