Education Programs

The Franklin Institute, named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, is a nationally renowned science museum located in downtown Philadelphia. Students, faculty, and staff in the MRSEC have been working with the staff of The Franklin Institute to design innovative new educational resources for science museums nationwide.

Working together, the MRSEC and the Franklin Institute have produced two 60 minute cart-based, interactive demonstration kits. The first kit, Materials Matter, explores the “micro” mechanisms behind the unusual and surprising “macro” behavior of materials such as aerogels, shape-memory alloys, polymers, electronic ink, and zeolites. The second demonstration kit, Zoom in on Life, investigates how the nanometer sized parts of our body function in order to make life possible. Activities in this kit focus on antibodies, DNA, molecular motors, cell membranes, and vision. We have distributed both shows to approximately 20 science museums nationwide.
A third museum show is in the preliminary stages of development. The new show will have a nanotechnology theme with possible topics to include self assembly, molecular rulers, silver nanoparticles, and data storage. The new show will again be sent to approximately 20 science museums with a tentative rollout during Fall 2007. Volunteers are needed to lead and support in the development of the demonstrations, train museums to use the demonstrations, and help with web support for this project.

The Penn State MRSEC summer camps are designed to increase interest in science, sharpen problem-solving skills and build self-esteem for middle and high school students including girls and ethnic groups which are under-represented in engineering and science majors. The laboratory workshops and presentation of the Materials Matter museum show by MRSEC faculty during these summer programs are designed to engage students in interactive hands-on experiences to inform, enrich and promote interest in material science.

The Center for Nanoscale Science has provided support and activities for a variety of summer programs including Action Potential Science Experience, Girls Utilizing Science and Technology, Nittany Science Camp for Girls, Expanding Your Horizons, Venture in Engineering Camp, National Girl Scouts Wider Opportunity, Business Engineering Science and Technology Program and Pre-First Year in Engineering & Science Summer Program.

Our Internships in Public Science Education website is home to our complete set of family oriented K-12 activities that correlate with the museum shows designed jointly by the Penn State MRSEC program and the Franklin Institute Science Museum. The activities are posted as a reference for museum visitors, K-12 students, families and teachers who are interested in learning about topics in materials and nano-scale science.

Check the website regularly for updates on the locations and venues featuring the MRSEC-TFI museum shows and other IPSE related programs and K-12 workshops.

The Penn State MRSEC REU program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in frontier materials research at a major research facility. You can perform research with facuty on any of the topics of the MRSEC: we will match your interests with those of current faculty and then match you with the MRSEC REU program or the REU program in the appropriate academic department. Students will work closely with a Penn State faculty member, together with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the research group.

We have three programs which bring cutting-edge research into school classrooms.

1. For teachers who want to learn more about modern materials, and how to incorporate it into the classroom, we offer a one-week Summer Teacher Workshop.

2. If a teacher wants a more long-term opportunity to develop new curriculum ideas for the classroom, then the Summer Teacher Fellowships can provide a stipend, resources for materials, and a chance to work with MRSEC faculty, students, and staff for a summer on your ideas.

3.The MRSEC also has a wide assortment of demonstration materials for in-class science demonstrations.