Oh, the stories they’ll tell…their students! When we partner teachers with PNNL scientists in the field or laboratory, they gain a wealth of new experiences to share and inspire students who are curious about real-world problems. Field research experiences for teachers help them reimagine classroom lessons to be even more engaging and relevant to their students.

Our STEM education specialists connect teachers with PNNL researchers and design professional development experiences that are aligned with Washington State Science and Learning Standards. Creating connections between our education staff, researchers, and teachers helps us all meet our shared goal— to inspire and educate the next generation of diverse STEM professionals, whether they be technicians, teachers, researchers, or engineers. We know our model inspires teachers because they tell us so. 

“I want you to know that the last two summers taking the PNNL classes in Richland have been a source of inspiration for me in my classroom. Not only did I return from the classes feeling like I did when I was 20— doing research science in Maui, and collecting data and sharing results and consulting with other scientists to solve issues— but it renewed my enthusiasm to come back to class each fall. I was reminded how much fun science is!”

Connecting research and classroom experiences helps both educators and PNNL researchers have an impact on the next generation of potential STEM professionals and future STEM teachers.

We offer a broad range of experiential learning experiences for teachers, with plenty of opportunity for hands-on research in the laboratory or the field.

The STEM Teacher and Research (STAR) program is a nine-week, paid summer research experience for aspiring K-12 STEM teachers from any California State University campus or the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program. Those eligible to apply are undergraduate students who are either on a teaching path or in a STEM field and seriously considering a career in teaching. Master’s degree students, teaching interns, and others working to become certified teachers are also eligible. PNNL hosts 6 to 12 STAR fellows each summer.

The Partners in Science Program, supported by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, pairs high school science teachers from the Pacific Northwest with a mentor scientist. They work together over the course of two summers to do cutting-edge research, allowing the teacher to immerse themselves in hands-on laboratory or field work or both. Teachers then incorporate their experiences into hands-on science lessons for their students. PNNL hosts several Partners in Science Program teachers each year. Applications are due in December of each year, and awards are typically announced by early March. More information is available on the Trust’s website.

Teacher-Scientist Partnerships (TSP) is an annual, 35–40 hour professional development program for middle and high school STEM teachers where participants solve a scenario-based problem from the real world and earn clock hours. Each year, our STEM education staff and PNNL researchers collaborate to develop unique scenarios on a range of topics— ecology, fish survival, data visualization, and more— and align them with Washington State Science and Learning standards. PNNL researchers guide the teachers and expose them to field experiences as they work in groups. In the end, just like their students, participants must give a presentation about their findings.

Each year, PNNL partners with Educational Service District 123 to offer a TSP experience called STEM-IT. The PNNL team strives to give teachers an incredibly immersive experience along with tools to help shape their curriculum. After completing a TSP experience, teachers leave with a better understanding of real-world STEM problems, deepen their understanding of the concepts they teach, and gain awareness of the breadth of STEM career pathways available for their students. PNNL often partners with the Association of Washington Business to offer a second, similar TSP experience during the summer.

Applications are typically available in January of each year, and teachers are encouraged to attend in pairs either from their school or district. Applications can be requested by email from the contacts below.

“Scientists who work at a national laboratory are like superheroes to science teachers in the classroom.”
— Greg Becker, Moses Lake High School Teacher & Teacher-Scientist Partnership participant