This talk will discuss outreach efforts of the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron with K-12 educators. The first program is National Science Foundation funded Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program (EEC-1161732). This program is to expose teachers to polymer research through group professional development activities and individual research projects conducting in participating faculty member's laboratories. Using this experience the RETs develop individual lesson plans based on their research that can be implemented in their classrooms. We will discuss the basic structure of the programs and the lessons we have learned for the effective execution of the program objectives. A second broader effort is the Akron Global Polymer Academy (AGPA) whose mission is creating and disseminating knowledge about polymer science, polymer engineering, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education by supporting initiatives in P-16 education and other distributive education ventures.

K-12 outreach at the University of Akron

245th National Meeting (2013)

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