The paper below describes how we at NIST created this program to encourage interest in science in our local middle school community. If you're a teacher, we encourage you to reach out to local laboratories for resources. If you're a scientist, we encourage you to build something similar at your laboratory, and reach out to the schools around you.
The NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers: Translating NIST Research into Activities for the Middle School Classroom; by Mary Satterfield, NIST and Susan Heller-Zeisler, NIST
NIST selected middle schools as an area of interest because we noticed that many middle school teachers are asked to teach science topics in ever-changing and expanding fields. Our program introduces teachable ideas in line with school curricula, with lessons that can be immediately implemented.
Benefits from this program include: