"Living In a Material World" $500 Grants For K-12 Teachers

Here’s a fun and rewarding way to exercise your creativity as a teacher – and be recognized for it! The ASM International Foundation’s mission is to excite young people worldwide in materials careers. Members of ASM International visit schools and frequently observe that students are fascinated by materials, but rarely have an opportunity to learn anything about them. To help teachers like you bring the "real world" of materials science into your classroom, the ASM International Foundation is awarding 10 grants of $500 each to teachers, K-12.

Students today are largely isolated from the materials that make up the products that add so much to our quality of life. Material choices are part of the design of all things. Yet this part of our world remains mysterious – as unknown to our children as the depths of the ocean. Members of ASM International know how rewarding it is to develop or produce the metals, glasses, ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers at the heart of all new systems. Students, however, often hear of materials science too late for career planning.

For students to learn about materials science, the lessons must be part of the broader curriculum. This is why teachers like you need to be an integral part of their development. The ASM Foundation is committed to working with and supporting teachers in a new endeavor that we call "Living In a Material World."

The ASM International Foundation is sponsoring 10 grants each year for teachers. Each grant has a value of $500. The purpose of these grants is to enhance awareness of materials science and the role of materials scientists in society. ASM International has local chapter across North America. Members are willing to work closely with local teachers to develop and implement these lessons. View a list of current local ASM professional chapters to find some in your area. Please share this information with other teachers in your district; cooperative proposals among several teachers are welcome.

Please submit a two-page proposal describing a curriculum based hands-on project, involving students’observation, communication, and mathematics and science skills while enhancing their awareness of the materials around them. A one-page summary report will be required of winning proposals. Feel free to contact local ASM members, through their local chapters for assistance. Original, imaginative projects other teachers will want to emulate are encouraged. A good introductory site is www.crc4mse.org.

Proposals may be submitted electronically by May 25 of each year to jdeather@asminternational.org, or by mail to: ASM International Foundation, Attn: "Living In a Material World" Program, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002. Be sure to include your school name and address, your name, grade(s) taught, and the school telephone number. Awards will be made in August. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Dr. James W. Watson
Chairman, Teacher/Student Outreach Subcommittee