K-12 Outreach Programs
PSC presents programs for high school science teachers in western Pennsylvania to prepare them to become leaders in the effective use of simulation and modeling tools in the classroom.Current PSC K-12 Outreach Programs include:
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CAST - The Computation and Science for Teachers program introduces computational thinking and computational tools into the high school science curriculum in western Pennsylvania. The program includes a week-long summer workshop plus four quarterly meetings throughout the school year.
CMIST - Computational Modules in Science Teaching brings modeling and simulation into secondary school classrooms. Program content focuses on integrating computational biology, physiology, mathematics, and biophysics. Specific modules are introduced in 2-hour workshops throughout the school year.
BEST - Better teachers of Science for Tomorrow program that exposes teachers in all science disciplines to modern molecular biology concepts. A draft curriculum is under development.
CI JumpStart - Introductory computational science and high performance computing workshop for high school and undergraduate students. Workshops can be held at the school, or at PSC.
PSC Science Fairs Resource - PSC encourages middle and high-school students competing in their local of regional science fairs to consider projects that use computational thinking and tools. Resources and more information are available on the PSC science fair resource page.
WiiMD - WiiMD combines the highly intuitive technology of Nintendo's latest video game system with real molecular dynamics simulations to create a truly interactive supercomputing experience that is accessible to wide audience. The project is designed to expose K-12 audiences to supercomputers and physical simulation in an effort to raise awareness of computational science and provide educators with a tool that enriches their current curriculum.