New, GK-12: CarbonEARTH (Carbon Educators and Researchers Together for Humanity)

CarbonEARTH（Carbon Educators and Researchers Together for Humanity）将与来自农村和城市学区的小学和中学科学教师一起合作STEM（科学，技术，工程，数学）研究生，提出与能源，物质和材料，地球过程和生态系统主题相关的创新开放式探究科学项目。 碳的跨学科主题，广泛地解释，将提供一个统一的平台，调查，发现，培训和教育。除了他们正在进行的研究培训外，CarbonEARTH研究生研究员还将接受K-12科学教学相关要素的培训，并参与促进协作，组织，沟通，教学，领导，团队建设和其他可转移技能的活动。碳地球还将促进教师和研究生在碳相关研究领域的合作。CarbonEARTH将有益地为来自广泛学科的教师和学生提供科学学习经验，不仅教授概念，而且培养解决科学问题的技能，例如全球变暖，废物处理，可再生能源和纳米电子学。基于调查的方法将提高对上小学和中学生的STEM概念和科学技能的理解，通过与研究生榜样的互动，提供反映STEM职业的兴奋和重要性的经验。为了满足增加STEM管道的需要，在整个计划中，将优先考虑支持STEM教育和代表性不足的群体的职业保留。碳地球还将加强和扩大宾夕法尼亚州立大学和K-12学校之间的关系。

CarbonEARTH (Carbon Educators and Researchers Together for Humanity) will team STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduate students with upper elementary and middle school science teachers from rural and urban school districts to present innovative open-inquiry science projects related to the themes of Energy, Matter and Materials, Earth Processes and Ecosystems. The interdisciplinary theme of carbon, broadly construed, will provide a unifying platform for investigation, discovery, training and education. In addition to their ongoing training in research, the CarbonEARTH graduate fellows will be trained in relevant elements of K-12 science teaching, and engage in activities promoting skills in collaboration, organization, communication, teaching, leadership, team building and other transferable skills. CarbonEARTH will additionally facilitate collaboration among faculty and graduate fellows across carbon-related research areas. CarbonEARTH will beneficially provide teachers and students from a wide range of disciplines with science learning experiences that not only teach concepts, but also develop skills for approaching scientific problems, for example global warming, waste disposal, renewable energy and nanoelectronics. The inquiry-based approach will enhance the understanding of STEM concepts and scientific skills for the upper elementary and middle school students, providing experiences that reflect the excitement and importance of STEM careers through their interactions with graduate fellow role models. To address the need to increase the STEM pipeline, throughout the program, priority will be given to supporting STEM education and career retention of underrepresented groups. CarbonEARTH also will strengthen and expand relationships between Penn State and K-12 schools.