Akron Global Polymer Academy Outreaches to the Community: Teachers, Parents, Children

The Akron Global Polymer Academy in the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering in collaboration with the College of Education offers a summer teacher workshop that focuses on science content standards. This polymer-theme workshop includes inquiry-based activities, discussions on pedagogy, field trips to local industries, tours of research laboratories, and time for planning classroom implementation. An important component of the workshop is a leadership program training past participants as teacher leaders for their peers. The 2007 Teacher Leaders' outreach activity was developing polymer science family nights. Grandparents, parents, and children discovered the fascination of polymers with hands-on activities together.