The goals of the Rutgers University Research Experience for Teachers in Engineering (RU RET-E; pronounced "Are you ready?") are to: (1) engage middle and high school math and science teachers in innovative "green" engineering research during the summer, and (2) support teachers in integrating their research experiences into their academic year, pre-college classrooms. The overarching theme of the research projects - "Green Technology" was selected to engage the in-service mathematics and science teachers in the Green Revolution. During the 2011 summer, seventeen math and science teachers (RU RET-E Fellows) engaged in "green" research alongside faculty and graduate students (description of research activities in Table 1). Teachers were required to apply to the program in pairs as one math and one science teacher from the same school. The rationale was that the team would develop interdisciplinary lessons and that teachers would have a colleague at their school who shared the same experience as supports during the school year. The classroom lessons teachers developed are being implemented during the 2011 - 2012 academic year. Members of the RU RET-E management team support the teachers during the academic year by visiting schools and providing funds for classroom supplies. To broaden the impact of RU RET-E, teacher fellows facilitated an academic year workshop for non-RU RET-E educators on the university campus, wherein RU RET-E fellows showcased their research and resulting classroom lessons to a larger audience during National Engineers Week.
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