Short news stories about STEM teacher training and professional development activities on the Illinois campus.

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Directory of current externally funded P-16 teacher training and professional development projects on the Illinois campus.

External funding opportunities for teacher training and professional development programs and research.

P–16 STEM Teacher Development Events

Opportunities are posted as program information becomes available.

• ASM High School Teacher Camp: American Society of Materials camp for STEM high school teachers.

At the ASM Materials Camp, you can find out how to use low cost/no cost, simple labs and experiments using everyday materials that can be integrated into your existing lesson plans to actively engage students in applied science. As an added benefit, you can earn CEU or graduate credits! Dates: July 22-26, 2013.

• Lake Ontario Shipboard Science Workshop: For 4th-12th grade teachers and non-formal educators; Research Cruise on Lake Ontario. Dates: July 7-13, 2013 Applications due April 30, 2013. Online application.
• Naturally Illinois Expo: The Expo showcases the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute, which includes the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, the Illinois State Geological Survey, the Illinois State Water Survey, and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. Exhibits include: Waste to Oil Demonstration; Animal Bones of Illinois; Floodplain Simulation; Kids' Fossil Dig; Earthquakes Now and Then; Honey Bees - Live!; Mummy Science. Dates: March 8-0, 2013.
• XSEDE/National Computational Science Institute Summer Workshops: College and high school educators who want to introduce or expand the use of computational resources in their classrooms can apply for a series of FREE summer workshops on computational science, sponsored by XSEDE (the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment) and the National Computational Science Institute (NCSI).

  Courses include:

  • Computational Biology for Biology Educators, July 22-25, 2013, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
  • Computational Chemistry for Chemistry Educators, June 24-28, 2013, at Linfield College or July 26-27, 2013, at Stark State College of Technology
  • Computational Physics for Physics Educators, Aug. 5-8, 2013, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
  • Intermediate Parallel Computing, July 14-20, 2013, Louisiana State University
  • Introduction to Computational Thinking, Aug. 12-15, 2013, Jackson State University

  These workshops, including meals, will be free for all participants. A limited number of spaces in each workshop will be available for those who require housing; double occupancy housing will be provided at no cost. A limited number of travel scholarships may also be available.  Those interested in travel scholarships should complete the scholarship application, which can be submitted after you apply for the workshop.
  

P–16 STEM Instructional and PD Resources

• Academic Challenge: Science/engineering test competitions for high school students. Teachers at participating schools (400+ schools in Illinois) select their best students for their teams and coach them using old tests for practice. There are three levels of competition for Academic Challenge: regionals (in February), sectionals (in March), and state finals (in April) on the UIUC campus. 
• American Chemical Society Classroom Resources: For elementary/middle school, high school, undergrad, two-year college, and graduate education.
• ACS Chemistry in the Community Webinars: Increase your understanding of the high school text, Chemistry in the Community (ChemCom), while gaining instructional tips and techniques for student lab investigations and classroom activities.
• BeeSpace: Instructional resources for high school biology, ecology, and environmental science classes
• Bugscope: Free interactive access to a scanning electron microscope for K-16 classrooms worldwide
• Center for the Physics of Living Cells: Curriculum Resources: In collaboration with local teachers, we have developed a series of curriculum resources for use in secondary science instruction. Resources are designed for physics, chemistry, and biology teachers.
• Chickscope: Students use classroom computers to access data generated from scientific instruments
• Chic Tech: Teams of undergraduate women visit high schools to demystify the field of computer science and inform female students about the joy of studying it as a college major. One component, the Technical Ambassadors Competition, challenges groups of up to 5 high school girls to create a technical service project for a community non-profit organization. Winning projects receive cash prizes, and finalists are invited to a weekend retreat at Illinois.
• DATA: Demonstrations and Animations for Teaching Astronomy: Astronomy teaching resources.
• Earth's Atmosphere: Educational resource for elementary school units on earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate.
• ELATE at Drexel: Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering (ELATE) is a national leadership development program designed to advance senior women faculty in academic engineering, computer science, and related fields into effective institutional leadership roles within their schools and universities.
• Engineering Advocates: Illinois Engineering students visit K–12 schools to share their knowledge and love of engineering with @ 6000 youth per year. They conduct hands-on workshops at elementary and middle schools and make a PowerPoint presentation about engineering careers and admission to Illinois at high schools; they also conduct workshops for groups such as Girl Scouts and participate in conferences and career fairs for middle and high school students.
• EnLiST Resources: Physics and chemistry materials for high school teacher leaders.
• EtoysIllinois: K–5 teaching with EToys software and teaching computer languages
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology: An international competition allowing students to explore science and technology through robotics. Illinois hosts a regional Lego Robotics competition every December, with @ 220 children participating annually. College of Engineering supports Robotics Program (ages 9–14), and Vex Robotics (high school). Teachers in AP Physics classes employ Vex robotics to provide a hands-on approach to physics principles.
• iRISE (Illinois Researchers in Partnership with K-12 Science Educators): The Illinois Researchers in Partnership with K-12 Science Educators (iRISE) Project aims to bring hands-on science and engineering lessons to underrepresented middle school students and their teachers in Illinois. iRISE is centered around a graduate course which trains science and engineering PhD students in educational outreach. As a part of the course, graduate students develop and teach science and engineering lessons to local middle school students. We also teach an annual summer workshop for Illinois middle school teachers.
• Illinois State Board of Education Educator Certification Information: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides endorsements for teacher certifications. Endorsements are available in several subject areas, including Biological Science, Computer Applications, Computer Science, General Science, Mathematics, Physical Science, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science, and Environmental Science. Specific requirements for endoresements are listed here.
• NanoCEMMS Online Labs: Nanotechnology lab activities that can be used in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; labs include materials lists, step-by-step procedures, and downloadable materials .
• Physics Van: Performs physics demonstrations in Champaign-Urbana, IL area elementary schools
• Physics Lecture Demonstration Database: Designed to help physics instructors find demonstrations for their lectures
• Prairie Research Institute Teacher Resources. These eacher resources under Teachers/Youth Groups Resources were developed for the Naturally Illinois Expo.
• TCIP (Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid): Interactive lessons help teachers and students learn about the system that delivers electricity and challenges for the future
• The Power of the Wind: Curriculum includes several small projects that teach about the wind and its uses while introducing engineering design and engaging learners in doing, testing, reflecting, and revising.
• University of Illinois Extension: Teacher resources in horticulture, nutrition and health, and environmental stewardship, and schools online, which contains science resources.
• WaterCAMPWS: Teaching and learning resources on water purification systems.
• Wildlife Encounters: Created and operated by the University of Illinois' College of Veterinary Medicine, this site offers resources for K-12 students and teachers.

Public Engagement Portal

This searchable portal contains additional information about STEM education opportunities for K-12 students and professional development opportunities for K–12 teachers.