Bioenergy Academy for Teachers (BEAT) Promotes Multidisciplinary Content in STEM Education

Although the emphasis of various programs for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics) educators provide general enrichment activities, there are a very few that are focused on the topics of bioenergy and bioproducts with a multidisciplinary approach. By training educators (grades 6-16), it is anticipated that the students at middle and high schools, and four year colleges will not only be reached, but also become more aware of greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and the deleterious effects arising due to dependence on foreign oil. During the one-week summer institute on Bioenergy and Bioproducts, held at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, educators across STEAM participated. The two objectives of the BEAT program are: 1) to provide a systems-perspective in renewable energy with a particular focus on bioenergy and bioproducts to STEAM educators and researchers; and 2) to develop and provide curricular materials and a set of teaching tools for educators for enhancing multidisciplinary instruction in the areas of sustainable bioenergy and bioproducts. The academy focuses on lessons and activities pertaining to sustainability, systems thinking, bioenergy, bioproducts, bioheat, biopower, and environment and policies related to energy issues. The participants got the opportunity to acquire concrete experiences involving teamwork, time management, and project execution skills; reflected on their learning experiences through presentations and the end of the institute; developed concepts related to organic chemistry, physics, engineering design, instrumentation, mathematics, biological and environmental sciences, and actively experimented with feedstock to generate biodiesel and environmentally friendly soaps using glycerin produced from biodiesel. In addition, the engineering and physics faculty, who were participants also conducted peer-teaching in Bioheat and Biopower with related hands-on activities such as energy generation using a microbial fuel cell and Biolite demonstration, where biomass such as wood fueled a dual cooktop/phone charger. A microbial fuel cell was constructed using electrogenic bacteria that were already present in mud sentiments and appropriate electrodes were chosen to power up a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light. The BITES (Building, Industry, Transportation, Electricityy Scenarios) simulation tool developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and made freely available over the internet allowed participants to play out scenarios to reduce carbon foot print based on various situations that can be realized through policy decisions leading to building improvements, reduction of industrial pollution, use of alternative fuels, electric cars, and other design modifications in the transportation sector, and cleaner more efficient conversion technologies for electricity generation and conservation. A total of forty one educators have been trained through this program over a period of four years. The evaluation surveys (content and perceptions) reveal that educators gained substantial knowledge in the fields of sustainability, bioenergy, and bioproducts, and felt comfortable in implementing the content in their courses and laboratories. Various STEAM courses have been impacted positively through the infusion of components in sustainability and renewable energy offered by the program. This further supports the successful implementation of the multidisciplinary approach in the curricula. The key issues on “environmental stewardship” across disciplinary boundaries P ge 26282.2 have broad overlaps with the 21 century’s grand challenges espoused by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.