This summer, middle school teachers from the Bay Area and Southern California have participated in NanoSIMST, a professional development program run by nano@stanford, one of the 16 sites of the National Science Foundation-funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure. The program is designed to connect the teachers with activities, skills, and knowledge about science at the scale of molecules and atoms, so they can incorporate it into their curriculum. NanoSIMST also prioritizes teachers from Title I schools, which are low-income schools with low-income student populations that receive federal funding to improve academic achievement. βThereβs a gap in professional development for middle school teachers,β said Daniella Duran, the director of education and outreach for nano@stanford. βBut these teachers are in a special place β they can teach their students early on about these amazing sciences and help them develop a picture of themselves as a scientist, engineer, or technician.β
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/08/how-nano-stanford-teaches-educators-about-nanoscience