Penn States’s Interdisciplinary Materials Research Experience for Teachers Program (RET)
Summer 2015
The Physics Department and Center for Nanoscale Science also jointly host a NSF funded Research Experience for teachers.
The goal of the RET program at Penn State is to provide opportunities to the participating STEM teachers to engage in hands-on research projects with faculty mentors in Materials and Nanotechnology. Better-prepared teachers on science content and the development of hands-on activities will contribute to enhance the quality of STEM instruction.
In addition, teachers work together in the development of lesson plans, oral and poster presentations, and papers for publication. The RET participating teachers have the option to request a supplemental grant to implement activities related to the research experience in their classrooms. Physics, Materials Science and Engineering and MRSEC faculty and Research Associates and Postdoctoral Scholars are building collaborative relationships between K-12 teachers and the research community, supporting the active participation of in-service teachers and pre-teachers in research and education projects, and providing the students of the RET participants with the appropriate content, skills and career information to influence their future careers and competition in STEM education.
2012 Research Projects: RET_NSF_Partcipants.docx
2012 RET Fellows: 
To Apply:
Link for online applications will open December 15th.
In addition to the online application, submit two letters of recommendation, one of which should be from your school principal. These letters may be submitted separately by mail or e-mail to Dr. Francelys Medina (see below). Applications are due before Friday, February 27th, 2015. Award notification letters will be sent out by Friday, March 27th, 2015.
Contact:
Francelys A. Medina, Ph.D. STEM Education and Outreach Specialist Center for Nanoscale Science The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 E-mail: fam116 @ psu.edu (remove spaces) Phone: (814) 867-2461 Fax: (814) 863-3949