Juniata College proposes a five-year program including 1) 6 weeks + 2 weeks summer institutes for a total of 120 in-service teachers on the pertinent theory and use of modern chemical instrumentation with ample opportunity for hands-on experience, 2) an opportunity for teachers to work as research scientists within a research group directed by a Juniata faculty member, 3) a mobile chemistry instrumentation laboratory staffed by a properly trained, certified science teacher who will work with participating teachers and deliver modern instrumentation for use in the schools, and 4) the development of a network of well trained science teachers throughout the target region to ensure systemic and lasting program impact. The project specifically targets science teachers in a four county region of rural, central Pennsylvania and focuses primarily on chemistry. This project is designed to help pre- college science teachers perceive themselves as scientists as well as teachers, to provide them with the training and support to improve their performance as scientist-educators, and to help them produce better science students and increased student interest in science careers. Due largely to the revolution in technology and instrumentation, the way scientists operate has changed drastically in recent decades. Unfortunately, the teaching of science at the pre-college level remains essentially unchanged -especially in small, rural school districts without sufficient resources for modern, fully equipped laboratories. However, appropriate instrumentation exists and teachers can be trained so that pre-college students experience educationally sound, hands-on science learning. Juniata's experience is that the excitement of science is most convincingly conveyed to students by those who perceive themselves to be scientists - albeit scientists who have chosen to teach. Further, the observe and think in the manner of modern practicing scientists. This project builds on those principles to improve the quality of science education in the schools of Central Pennsylvania.
