A K-12 emphasis on science and engineering is vital to develop and maintain a technologically educated population and a competitive future workforce. Georgia Tech, through the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN) and National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), develops and hosts numerous outreach exercises for K-12 teachers to develop their professional teaching skills and assist them in creating lessons that engage their students in science and engineering activities.

To assist in the development of engaged teachers and creative science curricula, the U.S. Department of Education’s ‘Improving Teacher Quality’ State Grant program provides states with grants to implement activities that address teachers’ use of technology and innovative teaching strategies with the goal to strengthen and deepen teachers’ content knowledge in their academic subjects. Nancy Healy, Education and Outreach Coordinator for GT-NNIN, and Joyce Allen, Assistant Educational Coordinator for GT-NNIN, were recently awarded an ‘Improving Teacher Quality’ Grant to fund a nanotechnology focused teacher development program entitled Nanoscale Science and Engineering as an Avenue to STEM in Elementary and Middle Schools.

To read more about this event and see a photo gallery of the workshop, please follow this link.