DPP provides the following information for students and teachers who might be interested in furthering their education and professional development through internships and workshops, respectively.

LLNL professional development for science teachers

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides professional development instruction to in-service and pre-service teachers. Additional URLs for each of the following four programs are available at http://education.llnl.gov/teacher.html

Department of Energy Academies Creating Teacher Scientists (DOE ACTS)

LLNL participates in the Department of Energy Academies Creating Teacher Scientists (DOE ACTS) teacher professional development program. This is a three year commitment where teachers can work up to 8 weeks each summer at LLNL attending workshops and participating in research. Teachers receive a stipend for each week worked, travel expenses, and funds to purchase equipment for their classrooms and attend additional education opportunities such as conferences. Teachers applying to participate in DOE ACTS at LLNL can choose to work in one of the following research areas: Fusion-Astrophysics, Energy Technologies & Environment, and Biotechnology.

Edward Teller Science & Technology Symposium

LLNL in collaboration with the California State University Office of the Chancellor, hosts the Edward Teller Science Symposium. The Symposium is offered to CSU students interested in becoming science teachers. This one-day program introduces the students to a variety of professional development resources available at LLNL to support science teachers as they progress through their teaching career.  Participants may earn 1 semester unit for attending. The symposium is held annually in the winter.

Teacher Research Academies

Teacher Research Academies (TRA) are a professional development program where middle and high school science teachers learn science content and practice using advanced scientific instrumentation with classroom activities aligned with the California Science Content Standards.  Currently there are four fields of study: Fusion and Astrophysics, Biotechnology, Biophotonics, and Environment & Energy Technologies. Participants may earn up to 9 semester units of extension credit from CSU Chico, or 10-quarter units of graduate credit from CSU East Bay and may apply these units toward a Masters of Science in Education, curriculum option.

Science Teacher and Researcher (STAR)

The STAR program is offered through a collaborative partnership between the California State University with Department of Energy national research laboratories and the NASA Ames Research Center. The STAR pre-service and early career science teacher summer research program will provide CSU science majors or single subject credential students/recent graduates who are planning to be 6-12th grade science teachers the opportunity to engage in paid laboratory research internships.

For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact:
Don Correll (925-422-6784) and/or
Dick Farnsworth (925-422-5059).

The National Undergraduate Fellowship Program

Mid-June to Mid-August (Application deadline: early February)

The National Undergraduate Fellowship Program in Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy Sciences provides outstanding undergraduates with an opportunity to conduct research in the disciplines that comprise the plasma sciences in general and fusion research in particular. The Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. The goal of the program is to stimulate students' interest in the fields relevant to fusion research while providing capable assistants for fusion research projects. The summer program consists of a one-week introductory course in the basic elements of plasma physics, held at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and is followed by a nine-week research assignment at one of the participating universities or national Laboratory.

Applications for the Program, which runs from mid-June to mid-August, are invited from students in engineering, mathematics, computer science, or physics, who are matriculated at a U.S. college or university. The Program is open to undergraduates who are currently in their junior year. Students should have taken at least one course in electricity and magnetism beyond introductory physics. Deadline for application material is early February. The application must be completed on-line at http://science-education.pppl.gov/

Students should address questions to or request application material from:

James Morgan, NUF Program Administrator
National Undergraduate Fellowship Program
P.O. Box 451
Mail Stop 40
Princeton, NJ 08543-0451
or
email: nuf@pppl.gov.

Plasma Science and Fusion Energy Institute for High School Physics Teachers

Princeton University's Plasma Physics Laboratory offers a summer workshop in plasma physics and fusion energy for high school physics teachers each year during the second half of July. Participants spend the majority of their time in the laboratory investigating the basic properties of plasmas. Plasma-based curricular activities (labs, demos, advanced projects) are developed by the participants and $2,000 grants to facilitate these are available. Student-tested curricula from past participants are also available. Travel costs, housing, and a partial meal plan are provided. Deadline for receipt of applications is typically in April and the workshop announcement is posted online in January.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Andrew Post-Zwicker at (609)243-2150, azwicker@pppl.gov. The full announcement and online applications are at:

http://science-education.pppl.gov/SummerInst/index.html.