Research Experience for Teachers I (Team-RET)

Next Team-RET Program:
June 29 - August 7, 2009, at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Team-RET provides middle school, high school and community college math and science teachers with an intense, six-week period of in-depth study at the CCMR laboratories with facility managers, faculty, and graduate students. In the Team-RET program, six select science teachers spend the first five weeks primarily in the CCMR Shared Experimental Facilities. They work together as a team to understand how the equipment in the facility works and to solve research problems set out by the facility manager. The sixth week is dedicated to developing a materials science related lesson plan based on their experience in the facilities. Copies of Team-RET alumni lesson plans can be found on our RET Modules page. In the 9 years since the RET program's inception at CCMR, 51 teachers have participated.

“The RET program here was exciting, engaging, thought provoking and edifying. I was exposed to instruments I had only heard about and understood in theory… I can’t thank CCMR enough.”

~Sydney Mendez, Chemistry Teacher, Nottingham High School, Syracuse, NY

For more information on the Team-RET program please see our RET FAQ's page.

To apply for Team-RET, see our How to Apply page.

Research Experience for Teachers II (Independent-RET)

Next Independent-RET Program:
June 29 - August 21, 2009

A similar eight-week program, called Independent-RET, was initiated as a result of the Team-RET teachers' interest in deepening their understanding of materials research. This follow-up program provides each teacher with an opportunity to work directly with a faculty member on an independent research topic. Initially, some teachers are hesitant to step directly into an independent research program, but are usually eager to do so after the team-style program offered in the first year.

At the end of both the Team- and Independent-RET programs, teachers are expected to develop a materials science related lesson plan. These lesson plans, which we refer to as modules, have been as varied as the teacher that have participated and have ranged in topic from geology to biodegradable polymers to balsa wood bridges. The full list of RET developed modules can be found on the RET Modules page.

To apply for Independent-RET, contact the educational outreach office.