Four weeks at ERDC reignite teachers’ passion for science and technology – Vicksburg Daily News

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — At six of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) seven laboratories, 18 teachers are returning to their classrooms with a renewed passion for science and technology after spending four weeks working alongside engineers and scientists in the lab.

Since 2004, the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) has provided accessible STEM opportunities through real-world experiences, competitions and paid internships. As a partner from the beginning, ERDC has led the Army in the number of educators enrolled in AEOP’s Research Experiences for STEM Educators and Teachers (RESET) program.

RESET offers middle- and high-school teachers a summer of hands-on research with Army scientists and engineers. The program not only reignites teachers’ enthusiasm for STEM but also benefits ERDC’s ongoing work.

For Tiska Rodgers, a Missouri teacher entering her 23rd year, RESET has become “my summer home.” She has returned to ERDC for five consecutive years, bringing new skills and research connections back to her students.

Other participants like Keishelle Pete, a chemistry and forensic science teacher in Houston, Texas said that the program reignites the spark of learning again.

“You teach consecutively for 45-minute blocks, so you get burned out with the same curriculum,” said Pete. “Being in the lab reignites the spark and it helps teachers get excited about learning again.”

Other participants, like Houston chemistry teacher Keishelle Pete, said the program “reignites the spark” after years of repeating the same curriculum.

The program also serves the researchers, according to Luke Gurtowski, a research chemical engineer in ERDC’s Environmental Lab (EL).

“Having people in the labs who are enthusiastic about the work we are doing is always very helpful — it is good for me, good for the research and good for ERDC,” said Gurtowski.

Gurtowski has been involved in the AEOP program for five years. This year, EL had five student teachers who are not only receiving valuable hands-on experience, but also forming relationships with researchers like Gurtowski, who stay connected throughout the year.

See a typo? Report it here.