Benefits to the University of Florida

• Help to UF Faculty, Departments, and researchers get research Grants (NIH, NSF, DOE, HHMI, Foundations)
  • 40 current NSF awards are supported by CPET research education/outreach programs (Broader Impacts)
• Public awareness and understanding of research at UF
• Recruit and retain diverse and better-prepared future scientists and engineers.
• Increase science literacy and knowledge about higher ed tracks to workforce and careers in STEMM fields to those applying to the University of Florida.
• Improve teaching, mentoring, communication, and cross-disciplinary opportunities for graduate students.
• Encourage and support an ongoing culture of school and community engagement for research faculty and students.

Benefits to Schools

• Enhanced learning for ~100 students/year/teacher
• >500 teacher participants completed CPET programs during last 5 years, reaching thousands of Florida students.
• New hands-on, inquiry-based curricula for use in the classroom and/or online
• Increased opportunities for research projects, competitions, digital partners, mentoring programs, and access to university intellectual and tangible resources
• Successful fundraising via grants and novel university/school/community partnerships
• New collaborations among educators and extended partnerships with UF
• In-service workshops at district, regional and national levels
• Enhanced recognition, empowerment, and leadership opportunities for teachers at both the school and district levels
• Increased opportunities for research faculty and students to communicate with public about current advances and applications in STEMM
• A highly successful recruitment tool for STEMM technical, college and career programs

Benefits to Florida

• Enhance content knowledge, skills, resources, and professional networks for K-12 science teachers.
• Prepare talented students for success in college and careers.
• Increase science literacy and enthusiasm in students and communities.
• Disseminate UF research processes, outcomes, applications, opportunities, and societal benefits to citizens, especially those in rural or high poverty areas.

Teacher Resources:

• Ongoing, content-rich professional development (was accepted for graduate credit when funds available)
• Summer research internships in university research labs, covering basic science through clinical research.
• Equipment Locker Loan Program for schools
• Special Explorations for Teachers and Students (SETS) - UF Campus Visits or Classroom Visits
• Biomedical Curriculum Series—curricular units covering biotechnology applications in the life sciences for advanced students (available online for download)
• Science Learning Modules—interactive, web-based tutorials on general topics in science
• Best Practices—contributed by teachers participating in CPET programs and compiled by subject area, available online.
• Action Proposals and Outcomes—created by CPET teacher participants to integrate program content into K-12 science classrooms, available online.
• Presentations and Publications—given at state, regional, and national meetings of societies for researchers and practitioners in science education.