RET Site: Wood to Wheels - Research Experiences for High School Teachers in Sustainable Transportation Technologies

该奖项为为期三年的持续奖励提供资金，以支持密歇根理工大学（MTU）工程现场项目中的教师研究经验（RET），该项目名为“RET现场：“木材到车轮”-高中教师在可持续交通技术方面的研究经验“，由大卫R。肖纳德这个可再生能源在工程现场的目标是提供为期六周的夏季，深入的，多学科的研究经验和并行课程开发活动，为21名高中教师（每年7名）在三年内在“木材到车轮”（W2 W）基于森林的生物燃料运输企业。开发国内可再生能源替代品以取代进口化石燃料已被许多政府机构和科学机构确定为一项重大挑战。 利用可再生森林资源生产新的液体运输燃料可以实现许多可持续性目标，包括减少温室气体排放、能源和粮食安全、创造国内和农村就业机会以及改善贸易平衡。 实现这些可持续能源目标所需的研究和发展将依赖于未来提供各种工程师和科学家，他们既有技术专长，又了解可归类为“可持续性”的更广泛问题。 这个可再生能源技术网站将提高教师对森林生物多样性生命周期的可持续性知识和技术知识的水平。教师研究导师还将更深入地了解高中水平的STEM教育问题，协作课程/实验室教学单元将改善教师和教师的工程概念、方法和实践教学。 W2 W可再生能源技术将导致中学课堂教学的变化，并将导致高中学生的参与度提高，这些学生准备得更好，并有追求可持续发展的STEM教育的愿景。

This award provides funding for a three-year continuing award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Site program at Michigan Technological University (MTU) entitled, "RET Site: "Wood-to-Wheels"-Research Experiences for High School Teachers in Sustainable Transportation Technologies, under the direction of Dr. David R. Shonnard. The goal of this RET in Engineering Site is to provide six-week summer, in-depth, multidisciplinary research experiences and concurrent curriculum development activities for 21 high school teachers (7 per year) over a three year period in a "Wood-to-Wheels" (W2W) forest-based biofuels transportation enterprise. The development of domestic renewable energy alternatives to replace imported fossil fuels has been identified as a grand challenge by many government agencies and scientific institutions. The production of new liquid transportation fuels derived from renewable forest resources can achieve many sustainability objectives; including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy and food security, domestic as well as rural job creation, and improved balance of trade. The research and development needed to achieve these sustainable energy goals will rely on a future supply of diverse engineers and scientists with a balance of technical expertise and an understanding of the broader issues that may be categorized under the term of "sustainability". This RET Site will increase the level of teachers' sustainability literacy and technical knowledge of the forest-based biofules life cycle. The faculty research mentors will also gain a deeper understanding of STEM education issues at the high school level and the collaborative course/laboratory teaching units will lead to improved teaching of engineering concepts, methods, and practices for both the teachers and faculty alike. The W2W RET will result in changes in secondary school classroom teaching and will lead to enhanced engagement of high school students who are better prepared and have the vision to pursue sustainability-oriented STEM education.