Program Overview
Research laboratories will host up to two high-school STEM teachers who are alumni of the EnCorps program for an eight-week summer placement. Teachers will learn about the lab’s research through appropriate training and hands-on activities. The goals are for them to gain a deeper understanding of the science and its significance, use the knowledge and skills learned to develop curricular activities, and, together with the lab, learn and practice the art of effectively communicating complex research concepts to public audiences.

Science Communication Commitment
A central component of this program is collaborative science outreach. The PI and a designated in-lab mentor (a PhD student or postdoc) must commit to participate in science communication training alongside the teachers. This will be supported by three virtual training sessions with a science communication coach. Together, the lab team and teachers are asked to develop a public-facing communication product about the research and its importance to society, e.g., videos, op-eds, or podcasts, designed to communicate about the lab’s research and its importance to students, the high school community, and the broader public. Teachers will also gain experience that helps them expose students to STEM research and career paths.

Eligibility
Any principal investigator at Stanford is allowed to apply; preference will be given to faculty who have previously received a W.M. Keck Foundation research grant, including Bridge Funding, and/or are willing to consider an application with EnCorps in the future to the NSF RET program call.

Managing Unit: VPDoR, CFR