After an initial successful run of three years, the Research Experience for Teachers in Areas of Innovation and Novel Program (RETAIN)has returned to MEM and the College of Engineering, thanks to a renewed National Science Foundation grant for the program over the next three years.

The summer programs kicked off Monday, July 10 with a Welcome Reception for the participants of these programs as well as the GK-12 Program, and included a special presentation with speakers Congressman Chaka Fattah, Deputy Chief Academic Officer of the School District of Philadelphia Albert Bichner, Drexel President Constantine Papadakis, Drexel Sr. Vice President & Provost Stephen Director, and Dean of the College of Engineering Selcuk Guceri.

Under the leadership of Dr. Mun Choi, the RETAIN program is designed to educate 18 middle-school and high-school mathematics and science teachers from the Philadelphia region in the emerging areas of biotechnology, information technology, nanotechnology and experiential learning through laboratory discovery. It is representative of the College of Engineering and MEM Department’s initiatives in working with the School District of Philadelphia for teacher professional development and improvements in K-12 STEM education.

The second RET program, “Research Experiences for Teachers in the Area of Nanotechnology” is led by Dr. Yury Gogotsi, MEM Affiliated Faculty. The RET Nano program is a partnership between Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania and builds upon the strength of the Nanotechnology Institute and the IGERT fellowship program. The RET Nano program is geared toward high school mathematics and science teachers and community college faculty and includes 18 educators from throughout the Philadelphia region.

Each RET Fellow is paired with a research mentor with whom they spend five weeks collaborating in the laboratory and finding creative ways of implementing their new research experience into their school’s curriculum. Teachers participate in seminars on grant writing, website development, effective presentation techniques, online resources and have the opportunity to attend an industry tour to further understand the implementation of technology in the workplace. At the completion of the program each teacher is required to create a lesson plan that highlights their research experience, a website, a research poster, and a grant sketch.

The RET programs aim to increase teachers’ confidence in their understanding of and ability to teach emerging technologies. As a result of laboratory discovery and the implementation of innovative dissemination methods, participating teachers will be better equipped to teach their students about these areas of emerging technology. The teachers who participate in the program will then be able to serve as better mentors to their students who wish to pursue engineering and science education and to their colleagues in the schools. These awards recognize the dedication of Drexel University’s faculty, staff and students to the K-12 education throughout the Delaware Valley.

For more information on the RETAIN program, please visit http://www.coe.drexel.edu/RET/

For more information on the RET Nano program, please visit http://nano.materials.drexel.edu/ret/