IN ORDER TO INCREASE STUDENT NUMBERS IN BIOENERGY AND BIOPRODUCTS, WE MUST INSTILL A SENSE OF WONDER. WONDER IS WHAT DRIVES CREATIVITY, AND WITHOUT IT WE WOULD NOT HAVE MANY OF THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE.FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, FACULTY OF THE BIOBASED PRODUCTS AND ENERGY CENTER HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD OSU'S MISSION TO MEET THE GOALS OF TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND EXTENSION. THE CENTER STRIVES TO EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS IN RENEWABLE RESOURCE UTILIZATION; THIS PROPOSAL WILL HELP FACILITATE THIS GOAL.FOR THIS PROJECT, 30 EDUCATORS WILL BE SELECTED EACH YEAR TO COME AND SPEND ONE WEEK AT OSU DURING THE SUMMER TO GAIN FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE WITH BIOBASED ENERGY RESEARCH. AFTER THE INITIAL TRAINING HAS CONCLUDED, REGULAR INTERACTION VIA SKYPE WILL CONTINUE FOR THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE TEACHER TRAINING. THIS WILL PROVIDE A CONSTANT FEEDBACK LOOP THAT WILL OCCUR BETWEEN THE EDUCATOR'S AND THE OSU FACULTY.THE CULMINATION OF THIS DATA WILL HELP TO ENHANCE FUTURE EFFORTS IN PREPARING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FOR CAREERS IN BIOBASED PRODUCTS AND ENERGY RESEARCH.