The NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) in partnership with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) will be offering a FREE three-day workshop at the University of Minnesota to high school chemistry teachers on green and sustainable chemistry. The workshop was developed through the University of Minnesota Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program. Applicants from across the Midwest are welcome. This application closed on May 5.
Participating teachers will receive instruction on the principles of green chemistry, industrial applications, and potential impacts to human health and the environment. Shared lesson plans will illustrate how green and sustainable practices apply to secondary chemistry classrooms with education standards in mind. Participants will gain hands-on experience with safer, cost-effective labs that minimize waste and are drop-in replacements for traditional secondary chemistry labs. Topics such as bioplastics, design engineering, biomimicry, and commercial products from renewables will be explored demonstrating relevance to societal needs. Participants will partner with the workshop instructors and one another to develop or modify experiments for use in their classroom. Upon returning to their respective schools during the 2023-2024 academic year, participants are committed to implement at least two green chemistry experiments that they explored or developed at the workshop in their classrooms.
Participating teachers will receive a $300.00 stipend and the option to earn 2 graduate level credits from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Participants will also receive resources for lab implementation in their classrooms. Accommodations and parking at the University of Minnesota will be provided for traveling participants. Lunch will be provided each day of the workshop.
