A Nanotechnology Summer Camp for High School Students: Activities Design and Student Feedback

For the past two years, Lawrence Technological University has hosted a nanotechnology summer camp program for high school students (Summer 2014 and 2015). The weeklong program is open by application to high school juniors and seniors. Students have the option to be residential or non-residential. During the five days the students learn about nanoscale phenomena, instrumentation, fabrication, and nanotechnology applications. Each day the activities follow a particular area related to nanotechnology: Monday Introduction to Nanotechnology; Tuesday Nanomaterials; Wednesday Instrumentation; Thursday Fabrication; and Friday Energy. The unique feature of this camp is that it is team taught by six faculty from Biomedical Engineering, Biology, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering programs. Furthermore, current students at Lawrence Tech also participate and assist in the hands-on activities. Summer camp students are introduced to basic concepts of nanotechnology and also have the opportunity to use various nanoscale characterization tools such as the environmental scanning electron microscope and laser scanning confocal microscope. Student feedback was positive and indicated that the camp was successful, overall. The details of the camp activities, strategies for instructor-student interaction and exercises using sophisticated test equipment are discussed. The measures for student satisfaction and the results thereof will be highlighted. The authors will review the lessons learned during the past two years and share proposed modifications for future improvement. Introduction Within the last few decades there has been a remarkable amount of research done in the area of nanoscale (from a fraction of a nanometer to about 100 nm) science and engineering (NSE). The research has spanned all aspects of study including theory, simulations and experimental validation. These advances have opened exciting opportunities for scientific and technological developments in nanoparticles, nanostructured materials, nanodevices and systems. Increasingly the findings of these research have been incorporated into new products to render them desirable properties. The so called area of nanotechnology may be understood as the creation and utilization of functional materials, devices, and systems with novel properties and functions that are achieved through the control and restructuring of matter at the atomic, molecular and macromolecular levels. Far-reaching outcomes for the 21st century are envisioned in both scientific knowledge and a wide range of technologies in most industries, healthcare, conservation of materials and energy, biology, environment, and education. At the same time, new dimensions of safety and ethical, social and environmental responsibility must be considered as nanotechnology based products become more common. There is a need to create the next generation of competitive workforce which understands and appreciates the potential of nanotechnology. One consequence of the recognition of this need is the inclusion of Nanotechnology in undergraduate education. Several academic institutions not only offer introductory courses in nanotechnology in their undergraduate programs but some, such as Lawrence Technological University, are taking the lead in creating minors and concentration in this field. The goal of these programs is to not only spark an interest in the students about this field, which may lead to pursuance of graduate degrees in nanotechnology, but to also open doors of high tech jobs which, alongside nanotechnology products, are becoming available. Summer camps provide many high school students their first opportunity to learn about various disciplines in the science and engineering profession.1-3 Universities and programs also use these opportunities to showcase their academic institution and attract students towards enrollment in the program.4-6 Many programs, especially the ones with weeklong resident aspect built into the camp, also allow the students to explore the general college lifestyle and campus activities.7 Other programs may focus on increasing female or minority participation in engineering.8,9 Regardless of the specific circumstances, summer engineering program can be a great way to introduce engineering fields and expand student understanding of the college experiences. Three years ago Lawrence Technological University created a taskforce to develop a minor in Nanotechnology for students from a wide range of backgrounds. The taskforce included faculty from various disciplines in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Engineering. A quick survey reveals that while many institutions (local or otherwise) offer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) opportunities in nanotechnology, very few offer a summer camp which are typically focused on providing a broad overview of the field and are therefore, an effective tool for attracting high school students. Therefore, one of the actions taken by the taskforce was to introduce a summer camp in nanotechnology as a way to not only attract new students but also to develop nano-related learning modules, teaching resources and hands-on activities. Six of the taskforce faculty members took ownership of a particular area within technology and the weeklong summer camp was offered with ‘themed’ days. The involvement of multidisciplinary faculty not only reduced the burden of creating a new camp but was representative of the field of nanotechnology which blends engineering with chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and many other fields of study. This was also an aspect much appreciated by the students that were involved in the summer camp. Nanotechnology Summer Camp The nanotechnology summer camp was initiated in Summer 2014 and was offered again in Summer 2015. The camp is weeklong (Monday through Friday 9AM-4PM) and is open by application to high school juniors and seniors. The students have the option to be residential or non-residential. Enrollment data showed that 5 out of the 16 participants are from out of state (31%). The goals of the camp are: (1) to stimulate the students’ interest in the area of nanotechnology, (2) to educate students (and parents) about the opportunities for industrial and research careers in this field, and (3) to attract students to the minor in nanotechnology which was recently launched at Lawrence Tech. During the five days of the summer camp the students learned about nanoscale phenomena, instrumentation, fabrication and nanotechnology applications. Each day the activities followed a particular area related to nanotechnology and was led by a different faculty from Biology, Physics, Biomedical, and Mechanical Engineering departments. An example schedule is shown in Table 1. Table 1 Schedule of the Nanotechnology Summer Camp Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Introduction Nanomaterials Instrumentation Fabrication Energy Day 1 Survey Presentation: Nanomaterials Presentation: Introduction of Microscopy Methods Presentation: Introduction to Nanolithography Presentation: Liquid Crystals Presentation: Introduction to Nanotechnology Scanning Electron Microscope: (i) Characterization of Nanofiber Scaffold; (ii) Characterization of Students’ own samples Nanosphere Lithography Activity Activity: Liquid Crystal Thermometer Fact or Fiction Activity Gold Nanoparticles (Colloidal Gold) Presentaion: Ferrofluids Activity: Preparation and Usage of Liquid Crystal Mixtures Size and Scale Activity Presentation: Matter at Nanoscale Ferrofluid Activity History and Timeline Explore Website Electrospun Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope: (i) Characterization of Stained Cells and DrugDelivery Particles; (ii) Characterization of Students’ Own Samples Presentation: Piezoelectric Effect and Photoresistors Activity: Surface Area to Volume Ratio Presentation: Memory Shape Alloys Activity: Piezoelectric Material Presentation: Amazing Carbon Memory Metal Activity Activity: Graphene Exfoliation Biodegradable Micro/Nano Particles for Drug Delivery Cleanroom Visit Presentation: Laser and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) Presentation: Light Manipulation Discussion PIV Lab Tour and Demonstration Build a Spectroscope Exit Survey A particular challenge of creating this camp was to make the complex concepts in nanotechnology accessible to high school students. As it can be seen in Table 1, for each topic a short presentation was given first, followed by a designed activity to provide hands-on experience. Many summer camps (at Lawrence Technological University and other places) are science based. The Nanotech summer camp also involves faculty from both science and engineering, and teaches both nanoscience and nanotechnology. In order to provide better engagement and dynamic interactions, current biomedical engineering students at Lawrence Tech also participated and assisted in the hands-on activities. This not only makes the camp manageable but also give the current students to act in the capacity of university ambassadors. The volunteering students also get experience with mentoring. The camp students get a chance to learn from college students which makes the atmosphere more relaxed and enjoyable for the camp students. The detailed description of each day’s activities is presented in the following sections. Day 1 Introduction to Nanotechnology A specific focus of the camp was to excite the participants about the potential of nanotechnology and discuss products and applications that incorporate nanotechnology for specific effects. Therefore, the activities on the first day were designed to serve as an introduction to the area of nanotechnology and to develop an appreciation of the nanoscale. During the second half of the day, activities were planned around demonstrations that use ideas and concepts that high school students are most likely to have encountered already in their coursework. First, the students were made aware of the