Track 2, GK-12: Graduate Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Technology (GREATT)

This Track 2, GK-12 project builds upon existing relationships and infrastructure developed in the previous GK-12 project and is a collaboration among several colleges and institutes at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, The Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, The Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, PA and four central Pennsylvania school districts. Each Graduate Fellow is paired with one or two K-12 teachers in one school district for the duration of his/her tenure on the project. There are eight principal project activity areas: Fellow training, module development, K-12 classroom activities, field trips, Web-based projects, summer workshops, outreach and public relations and longitudinal studies of project participants.

The Intellectual Merit of the project centers around using the theme of advanced transportation technology as a proven 'hook' that will capture the interest of upper middle school and high school students and provide a natural springboard for introducing broader issues in the relationship between technology and human society including environmental issues, sustainability, ethics and safety.

The Broader Impact of the project is that it will provide novel STEM resources for K-12 teachers and schools and will institutionalize ties between higher education and K-12 schools. This project represents an effective approach to address an issue of local and national concern.

Significant Outcomes of Track 1 Project: In each year of the Track 1 project, several hundred K-12 students were exposed to STEM concepts and practitioners in a positive and meaningful context; and approximately 10 graduate and undergraduate engineering students were provided with a unique opportunity to convey STEM concepts to K-12 teachers and students. Several new manipulative kits and associated lesson plans have been made available for K-12 science teachers. Two novel web-based tools for teaching STEM concepts (HEV Interactive Game) and for facilitating interactions among universities and K-12 schools (Question of the Week) have been developed and tangible links have been established between Penn State and central-PA school districts, in keeping with Penn State's goal to '. . .create new partnerships with K-12 education and make the concept of lifelong learning a reality.' [Kellogg Commission, 2000]

This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Engineering.

Title: Track 2, GK-12: Graduate Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Technology (GREATT)

Institution: Pennsylvania State University

PI/Co-PI: Daniel Haworth (PI), Leanne Avery, Thomas Dana, Michael Lanagan and Paul Sokol (co-PIs)

Partner School Districts: Bellefonte Area, State College Area, Steelton-Highspire, Susquehanna Township (all in Central PA)

Number of Fellows per Year: 12 graduate students, 3 undergraduate students

Target Audience: Late middle school and high school

Setting: Primarily rural; also suburban/urban districts

NSF Supported Disciplines: Engineering and physical sciences