NSF Award
8851017
This project is a three year collaborative effort by five Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories to improve the general level of K-8 science instruction by creating a cadre of lead teachers who will serve as role models and mentors for their colleagues. The activities at each of the labs will link the specific frontier science of the laboratory with existing science/mathematics/technology curriculum, using teacher- developed enhancement activities. The enhancement program for these lead teachers will provide in-service training in academic year workshops and summer institutes. Follow-up activities to support participants in their efforts to integrate the new activities into their curriculum will optimize their impact on science and mathematics education by building a collective effort through successful science education activities and providing regional teachers access to resources through a DOE national network. The networking component will link many DOE facilities not directly involved in this teacher enhancement project. Over 600 teachers from regions around the labs will receive direct training at the laboratories and each of them will conduct in-service programs for other teachers. The five cooperative labs are Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL), CA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), TN, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), IL, Fermilab (FNL), IL and Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNNL), WA> Central administration as well as the evaluation responsibilities of the project will remain in Oak Ridge with support from a Laboratory Project Council representing all the participating laboratories. o Argonne will bring in 40 junior and middle school teachers for a three week-week summer workshop with the main focus on superconductivity and material science. o Fermilab will also work with middle/junior high school teachers. Forty-five teachers will participate for three weeks on a variety of science topics ranging from Fermilab research and technology in particle and astrophysics research, but also that research associated with prairie restoration and ecological research. o The program at LLNL is based on a series of one week Summer Technology Institutes for the technical enrichment of the classroom. Forty-five elementary teachers in groups of 10- 15/institutes will participate in three different experiences each summer. LLNL, through its previously funded program (HOPE) has had extensive experience with elementary science activities and teachers. o Oak Ridge National Lab will work 40 K-6 teachers for three weeks summer experience, with hands-on activities related to content discussion. Electricity and magnetism will lead eventually to superconductivity. o Environmental sciences will be the focus of the three- week summer program at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory for 32 elementary teachers each year. All of the programs have a strong academic year follow-up, a networking component which will allow all the teachers to remain in contact with each other and project staff, a credible and appropriate evaluative process and will have, as a prime objective, the institutionalization of the relationships established between the schools and the DOE labs. Many of these labs have high minority populations in the contiguous regions, and have made a firm commitment to provide specific service for these populations in these programs. The cost-sharing, which is primarily from the DOE Labs but which also included the local school districts, is equivalent to 52% of the NSF request.
