Educational Outreach
Overview
The integration of research with education and outreach is an essential aspect of our Center's mission. In order to assure the most effective use of our expertise and resources, we have developed a multi-faceted approach that encompasses the following three main components:
Education and Career Development within the Research Community:
These programs enhance education and career development within our research
community. These include seminar series and workshops, run by MRSEC
and open to all interested, as well as an active visitors program to foster
collaborations. We also include our Research Experiences for Undergraduates
(REU) and pre-college internship programs which invite students to experience
cutting-edge research by working in our laboratories. These programs simultaneously
serve to foster interactions with and among IRGs and with the research community
at large.
Outreach to our Neighborhood K-12 Community:
Our programs for K-12 students, and our teacher training programs in materials
science specifically take advantage of our location on the South Side of
Chicago to encourage the participation of underrepresented minority students
in science. We especially delight in our after-school science clubs which
actively engage students in scientific inquiry and foster mentoring relationships
with Center participants.
Informal Science Outreach:
This component is aimed at outreach to the general public, including museum
outreach, exhibit development, and dialogue with the arts. Creative approaches
to enhance the exploration and understanding of our research are highly
encouraged.