New, GK-12 SUNRISE: Schools, University 'N' (and) Resources In the Sciences and Engineering-A NSF/GMU GK-12 Fellows Project

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PROPOSAL #:0638680PI: Rajesh GanesanINSTITUTION: George Mason UniversityTITLE: Computation New, GK-12 SUNRISE: Schools, University, and Resources in the Sciences and Engineering SUNRISE is a new GK-12 project partnering STEM graduate students from George Mason University with teachers in grades 4-6 from three different school divisions in the state of Virginia. The objective of the project is to build a unique model of collaboration among teachers, school administrators, and the participating university to foster systemic efforts in implementing information technology rich content-knowledge into K-12 education. This is supported through science topics from contemporary areas such as GPS, nanotechnology, and oceanography and is brought into the classroom through lessons with hands-on experiments. The intellectual merit of this project is that creative information technology theme provides participants with a multi-level learning experience that advances knowledge of science topics and fosters professional development. This is achieved by constructing a framework that provides training and exchange of intellectual ideas, and integrates scientific research from diverse disciplines. It provides participants with an opportunity to discover, widen, and deepen knowledge within their own field as well as a mechanism to deliver that knowledge through the GK-12 graduate fellows. The broader impacts of the project include professional development opportunities for Fellows that strengthen their instructional and communication skills. The project offers the potential for sustained growth in quality and quantity of the nation's scientific workforce. The integration of research and education as well as the building of capacity of all the stakeholders offers many excellent possibilities and institutional culture change that transforms K-12 and graduate education. The project also supports the encouragement of diverse populations in the sciences through a focus on fellows and K-12 students from underrepresented populations.