(238a) Process Technology Institutes and Workshops for K-12 Educators and Students

Process technology institutes and workshops will be described that are effective at introducing high school students and K-12 and community college educators to the products, processes, and people of the chemical and paper industries. Five-day, three-day, and one-day workshops were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at Alabama Southern Community College (Thomasville AL), Lower Columbia College (Longview WA), and Auburn University (Auburn AL). Faculty and industry partners from these institutions developed and delivered the workshops as part of the National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training (npt)2, a National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Center. Institute and workshop activities are heavily weighted towards hands-on experimentation. Pilot-scale experiments are conducted in technology training or engineering laboratory facilities and small-scale experiments are conducted that can be taken home for integration into the classroom. Workshops include chemical and paper manufacturing facility visits and interactions with industry representatives. Participants at the institutes learn to (1) describe key processes in chemical and forest products processing, (2) demonstrate science and physics principles related to pulp and paper technology, (3) develop ways to incorporate chemical and paper concepts and learning materials into the classroom, and (4) provide information about career opportunities in the chemical and paper industries. K-12 and community college educators obtain CEU credit for participation in the Summer Faculty Development Institutes. The Summer Institutes for educators and high school students are supported by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Program. One-day workshops for K-12 educators are a collaboration between the Auburn Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering and the Alabama Forestry Association. Workshop best practices and assessments will be discussed to show effectiveness of the activities and interactions for guiding K-12 students toward degree programs and careers in technology and engineering.