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

这个创新伙伴关系（PFI）项目将发展学术，政府和企业合作伙伴之间的伙伴关系。 其目标是提供基础设施、获得设备、课程开发、教师培训、教育内容和各种科学经验，以激发学生和教师对科学和技术的持续兴趣。 该合作伙伴关系将实施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计划的应用。 学生班级的范围是从中学到高中后的水平。 据了解，大多数初中和高中学生甚至无法获得基本的实验工具和材料。 这个项目将提供一个合适的对象组装套件，让学生做简单，但发人深省的实验。 由于除了在大型研究机构注册的学生之外，任何学生都不可能获得先进的设备，因此计划提供远程实验，让学生通过联机连接实际操作先进设备，该项目解决了区域技术公司对更多技术熟练工人的需求以及更广泛的科学和技术教育问题。 围绕费城的三个州（特拉华州、新泽西和宾夕法尼亚州）是制药、化工和材料行业领先企业的所在地。 这些公司在寻找保持竞争力所需的各级教育的技术熟练工人方面面临着持续的挑战。 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;在副学士学位和中学后认证一级，在先进技术的教育产品方面存在严重差距。 解决方案始于中学阶段，研究表明，学生可能会迷失在科学和技术的职业道路上。该合作伙伴关系的计划主要围绕纳米技术，因为该学科的跨学科性质提供了进入生物学，化学，物理学和衍生领域的重要教育主题的入口。 此外，该主题吸引了当今年轻人的注意力。合作伙伴包括Immaculata大学（牵头机构），宾夕法尼亚大学，德雷克塞尔大学;伯灵顿县学院（新泽西州），切斯特县中级单位（新泽西州），德尔技术（DE）和蒙哥马利县中级单位（PA）;巴拉基金会，SAIC，外展提供商如下：Cephalon，Inc.，约翰逊约翰逊、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.