PFI:Transforming the Tri-State Philadelphia Region A Partnership for Innovation in Science and Technology Education

创新伙伴关系（PFI）项目将在学术界、政府和企业合作伙伴之间建立伙伴关系。目标是提供必要的基础设施、设备、课程开发、教师培训、教育内容和各种基于科学的经验，以激发学生和教师对科学和技术的持续兴趣。该伙伴关系将实施一种三维方法来实现这些目标，包括跨教育水平的垂直整合，在整个地区广泛的地理实施，以及旨在改善课堂教学、激发学生兴趣和刺激探索的补充项目的应用。学生班级的范围是从初中到高中后的水平。据了解，大部分初高中学生连最基本的实验工具和材料都没有。这个项目将提供一个合适的工具，让学生做简单但发人深省的实验。由于除了那些在主要研究机构注册的学生之外，任何学生都不太可能获得复杂的设备，因此该计划是提供远程实验，让学生通过在线连接获得实际操作复杂设备的体验。该项目解决了区域技术公司对技术熟练工人的需求以及更广泛的科学和技术教育问题。费城周围的三个州（特拉华州、新泽西州和宾夕法尼亚州）是制药、化学和材料行业领先公司的所在地。这些公司面临着一个持续的挑战，那就是在各个教育水平上找到他们保持竞争力所需要的技术熟练工人。虽然在领先的四年制研究机构中存在高质量的技术教育选择；在副学士学位和高等教育认证水平上，在先进技术方面的教育产品存在严重差距。解决方案始于中学阶段，研究表明，学生可能会迷失在科技职业道路上。合作项目的重点是纳米技术，因为该学科的跨学科性质为生物、化学、物理和衍生领域的重要教育主题提供了一个入口。此外，这一主题也引起了当今年轻人的注意。合作伙伴包括伊玛库拉塔大学（牵头机构）、宾夕法尼亚大学、德雷塞尔大学；伯灵顿县学院（NJ）、切斯特县中级学校（NJ）、德尔理工学院（DE）和蒙哥马利县中级学校（PA）；巴拉基金会、SAIC、外展供应商如下：Cephalon， Inc.、强生、默克、LifeSensors、Nanoselect、Unisys Corporation、Neose Technologies和Endo Pharmaceuticals。

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project will develop a partnership between academic, government, and corporate partners. The goal is to provide the infrastructure, access to equipment, curriculum development, teacher training, educational content, and diverse science-based experiences necessary to inspire a sustained interest in science and technology in students and teachers. The partnership will implement a three dimensional approach to achieve these goals that includes vertical integration across education levels, broad geographic implementation across the region, and the application of complementary programs designed to improve classroom instruction, spark student interest, and spur exploration. The range of student classes is from the Middle School to post-High School levels. It is understood that most middle school and high school students do not have access even to rudimentary experimental tools and materials. This project will supply an assembled kit of suitable objects to permit students to do simple but thought provoking experiments. Since sophisticated equipment is unlikely to be available to any students except those enrolled at a major research institution, the plan is to provide tele-experimentation to allow students an actual manipulative experience with sophisticated equipment through an on-line connection.The project addresses a need in regional technology companies for more technically-skilled workers as well as the broader question of science and technology education. The three-state region surrounding Philadelphia (Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) is home to leading corporations in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and materials industries. These corporations face a continuing challenge in finding the technically-skilled workers at all levels of education that they need to remain competitive. Although high-quality technical education options exist within the leading four-year research institutions; at the Associate Degree and post-secondary certification level, there is a critical gap in educational offerings in advanced technology. The solution begins at the Middle School level, where studies have shown that students might be lost to a science and technology career path. The programs of the partnership are focused around nanotechnology because the interdisciplinary nature of the subject provides an entry into important educational topics in biology, chemistry, physics, and derivative fields. In addition, the subject captures the attention of today's youth.Partners include Immaculata University (lead institution), University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University; Burlington County College (NJ), Chester County Intermediate Unit (NJ), Del Tech (DE), and Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (PA); Barra Foundation, SAIC, Outreach Providers are as follows: Cephalon, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Merck, LifeSensors, Nanoselect, Unisys Corporation, Neose Technologies, and Endo Pharmaceuticals.