John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Educators from the Bay Area, Southern California, and as far away as Arkansas participated in the Nanoscience Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers (NanoSIMST) this summer. The professional development program, run by nano@stanford, aims to equip middle school teachers with knowledge and skills about nanoscience—science at the scale of molecules and atoms—to integrate into their curriculum.
Daniella Duran, director of education and outreach for nano@stanford, highlighted a gap in professional development for middle school teachers. "These teachers are in a special place—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," she said.
Nano@stanford comprises four open-access facilities covering nanofabrication, microchemical analysis, isotope and geochemical measurement. It is part of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure funded by the National Science Foundation through a 10-year grant.
Debbie Senesky, site investigator and principal researcher on the nano@stanford project, emphasized nanoscience's broader impacts beyond research. "We also have bigger impacts on entrepreneurs, start-ups, community colleges, and other educators who can use these facilities," said Senesky.
The NanoSIMST program supports STEM education outcomes at an early age. According to a 2009 report by the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam Initiative: “nearly two-thirds of teens indicated that they may be discouraged from pursuing a career in science because they do not know anyone who works in these fields or understand what people in these fields do.”
Sophanie Gee from Sunnyvale Middle School remarked on nanoscience's relevance: “Everything that the world is trying to create includes making things faster, smaller... Nanoscience will help students see that trend.”
Tara Hodge from Southwest Junior High School expressed her enthusiasm: “I went from barely knowing what nano meant to being ready (and supplied!) to start teaching it to my students.”
Thuon Chen from Oakland Unified School District brought several colleagues to NanoSIMST for their first group participation. He noted middle schoolers' unique approach to new technologies: “Kids have this sense where they’re always pushing things... so introducing them to new technology can give them a lot to work with.”
The four-day program included tours of nano facilities, discussions with scientists, classroom experiments, and insights into careers in nanotechnology. Jillian Anderson from the Nano Heat Group shared her motivation for involvement due to her mother's influence as a science teacher.
Interns like Sanya Gowda from Folsom Lake Community College found value in lab exposure: “Working in a lab has made me more sure about doing this in the future.” Jisel Ruiz from San Francisco State University underscored outreach importance for lower-income communities.
Teachers such as Kiruthika Paulvannan applied NanoSIMST activities creatively within existing curricula. Nicole Solís emphasized diversity representation within engineering: “I used to be the only woman—and brown woman—in engineering rooms; I’m glad it’s changing."
Professional development around pedagogy was another focus area during NanoSIMST. Teachers aimed to show students their potential role within STEM fields regardless of background or gender identity.
Krista Keilly summed up an inclusive vision: “From women to nonbinary genders... different perspectives can help us build a new world.”
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