K-12 Outreach Programs

The Northwestern Univeristy Materials Research Science & Engineering Center firmly believes that only through investing in the education of young children can we truly guarantee that science and engineering in the U.S. can remain competitive with the rest of the world. The Center, therefore, collaborates with several schools and educational institutions to bring the joy of science to students in Kindergarten through the end of high school.

The Center leads an after-school science club at Chute Middle School in Evanston through a program called CHANSE (Chute And Northwestern Science Education). Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from the center visit the school each week to give interactive hands-on demonstrations to the students. This program starts in October and ends in May with a field trip to Northwestern. Through this long-term mentoring, we hope to encourage these students to pursue a career in science or engineering. The Center is currently looking for volunteers to help with this program.

In 2006, the MRSEC began a collaboration with the NU Science In The Classroom (SITC) program. The program is organized by graduate students and overseen by Professors Teri Odom and Mark Ratner. The program includes monthly 90-minute class sessions given by graduate students to approximately 200 studentsat at Hayt Elementary school. The program is ran by volunteers from the department of chemistry and MRSEC sponsors a field trip to the Northwestern campus in the spring.

The Center is collaborating with the Materials Research Institute on the Materials World Modules. These modules are self-contained set of activities that focus on a particular area of science or engineering such as ceramics or sensors. The package contains both the instructions for the activities and the necessary materials. Participants in our Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program test these modules in their classrooms during the development phase.

Furthermore, in collaboration with the Center for Talent Development, the MRSEC runs a 3-week summer program for talented middle school and high school students. The "Materials and Engineering Design Honors" class uses the Materials World Modules to introduce these students to materials science and encourage them to explore their engineering and creative skills through materials testing and construction projects.

In addition to the scheduled, recurring activities, MRSEC hosts a number of laboratory tours for student groups each year. Some of the groups visit experimental laboratories where graduate students explain their researchs, some other groups tour the shared facilities of the center.