CSATS programs support teachers in preparing the future STEM workforce by providing learning experiences that engage students in the practices of scientists and engineers. Your support will fund science education research, extend teacher classroom support and development, create mentor teachers, expand our outreach efforts for K-12 education and so much more!

i-STEAM Workshops:
CSATS’ one-day workshops provide opportunities for teachers to learn science, engineering, math, computer science and more through integrated activities from Penn State researchers and graduate students. CSATS i-STEAM Workshops are extremely popular with teachers located within Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Your support would allow for additional i-STEAM Workshops to be offered during the academic year.

Week-Long Summer Workshops:
CSATS’ week-long summer workshops are interdisciplinary as they blend the research of several scientists and engineers into a comprehensive unit based on a particular phenomenon or problem. These unique workshops offered during the summer are in high demand by teachers as the number of applications exceed the number of openings. Week-long workshops are traditionally grant-funded, which limits the number of sessions that are offered and number of teachers that can attend. Additional funding would enable CSATS to offer additional sessions of the workshops and expand the number of teachers impacted by the program. 

CSATS Fellows:
Our RET program provide teachers with the opportunity to conduct real-world science and engineering research. As a state-wide program, research placements occur in both Penn State research facilities and industry settings located in their own backyard. CSATS faculty and staff have designed the RET program to shift teachers’ instructional approaches to focus on the science and engineering practices. By coupling direct research experience with supportive professional development, teachers are able to develop curriculum that engages middle and high school students in similar research projects. This experience helps teachers to better prepare their students for careers involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

CSATS Blue Boxes contain materials and resources for Pennsylvania K-12 teachers to implement inquiry-based activities from CSATS programs with their students. Through a lending library system, teachers are able to borrow the Blue Boxes for a period of time by submitting a request through CSATS website. Blue Boxes are shipped to teachers at no charge. Your funding will support the development, maintenance, and shipping of the Blue Boxes as well as additional related materials including online modules of workshop activities, STEM researcher snap shots, and lesson plans. These resources will enable teachers to use integrated STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) activities from Penn State researchers and faculty.

CSATS partners with Penn State Aerospace Engineering to operate the Wind for Schools program in Pennsylvania. Together, we facilitate multiple teacher workshops focused on wind energy and the KidWind Challenge. IN the workshops, teachers learn hands-on activities that include investigations of turbine blade and generator designs that go "beyond pinwheels" and encourage analytical thinking. These investigations are powerful vehicles to expose students to “difficult-to-hold-onto” concepts like energy conversion and transfer, electricity generation, and our energy future. During the KidWind Challenge, student teams design, build, and test functional wind turbines and compete in a supportive environment. The state-wide competition is held annually at Penn State University in the HUB.