MPS Internships in Public Science Education - MPS-IPSE: Making the Nanoworld Comprehensible

这个IPSE奖，由数学和物理科学局多学科活动办公室资助，涉及材料科学与工程中心（MRSEC）之间的合作伙伴关系纳米结构材料和界面在威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校（UW）和发现世界（DW）科学博物馆在密尔沃基旨在把先进材料和纳米科学技术的前沿研究到博物馆和K-12学校设置 这个多方面的项目将使公共科学教育实习（IPSE）参与者能够大大提高他们的沟通能力，同时为大学预科和公众观众带来最先进的MRSEC研究主题的兴奋。 通过IPSE计划，研究生和本科生的多元化群体将与UW MRSEC研究人员，DW人员和K-12教育工作者合作开发适合年级的课程材料。最初，实验室实验和演示将围绕现有的MSEC创建的教育产品开发，使材料科学和工程概念与铁磁流体，形状记忆合金和非晶金属等先进材料相关。 新的举措将围绕富勒烯、纳米管和巨磁阻（GMR）的当前研究主题，为DW和K-12教师和学生制作教学材料。 将制作一个新的模块，使用聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）教授学生化学工程中的聚合物。 一个创新的博物馆计划，试飞员培训计划（TPTP），将IPSE参与者与初中和高中学生联系起来，提供与材料科学和工程相关的科学主题和职业发展的指导。 这些大学预科生将担任DW大使，在DW和当地学校做演讲，并协助培训新招募的TPTP参与者。 近50名研究生和本科生将在三年的项目期间参加。 计划成果将通过专业学科和泛学科组织的会议和出版物、作为项目一部分为地区K-12教师举办的研讨会以及与科学技术中心协会（ASTC）合作举办的研讨会进行传播。 将对该计划对博物馆游客和IPSE参与者的影响进行正式评估。 UW-DW IPSE项目可以作为面向技术的学生专业发展的典范，为他们提供丰富的机会，与大学预科和博物馆观众分享他们的科学知识和热情。 这将提高IPSE参与者的沟通技巧，同时也使公众和K-12教师和学生了解令人兴奋的研究进展。 因此，该项目将有助于提高科学素养和培养一支多样化的、受过技术培训的劳动力队伍。

This IPSE award, funded by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, involves a partnership between Materials Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces at UW-Madison (UW) and the Discovery World (DW) science museum in Milwaukee aimed at bringing cutting-edge research on advanced materials and nanoscale science and technology into the museum and K-12 school settings. This multi-faceted project will enable Internships for Public Science Education (IPSE) participants to enhance their communication skills substantially while bringing the excitement of state-of-the-art MRSEC research themes to pre-college and public audiences. Through the IPSE program, a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students will team with UW MRSEC researchers, DW personnel, and K-12 educators to develop grade-appropriate curriculum materials.%%%Initially, laboratory experiments and demonstrations will be developed around existing MRSEC-created education products, making the materials science and engineering concepts associated with such advanced materials as ferrofluids, shape memory alloys, and amorphous metals accessible. New initiatives will create instructional materials for DW and K-12 teachers and students around he current research themes of fullerenes, nanotubes, and Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR). A new module teaching students about polymers in chemical engineering using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) will be produced. An innovative museum program, the Test Pilot Training Program (TPTP), will link IPSE participants with middle and high school students to provide mentoring on scientific themes and career development related to materials science and engineering. These pre-college students will serve as ambassadors for DW, making presentations at DW and local schools, and assisting with the training of newly recruited TPTP participants. Nearly 50 graduate and undergraduate students will participate over the three-year project period. Program results will be disseminated through meetings and publications of professional disciplinary and pan-disciplinary organizations, workshops for regional K-12 teachers that will be held as part of the project, and a workshop held in partnership with the Association for Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). Formal evaluations of the program's impact on museum visitors and on the IPSE participants will be conducted. The UW-DW IPSE project can serve as a model for the professional development of technically oriented students, providing them with rich opportunities for sharing their scientific knowledge and enthusiasm with pre-college and museum audiences. This will enhance the communication skills of IPSE participants while also making the public and K-12 teachers and students aware of exciting research developments. The project will thus contribute to science literacy and to the development of a diverse, technically trained workforce.