ROCKET: What to Expect
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By participating in the Research in Optical Communication for K-14 Educators program, you will:
- Gain research experience in nationally recognized labs
- Network with peers and research professionals
- Receive mentoring from top faculty
- Create potentially publishable work
- Receive a competitive stipend, and restitution for travel and housing
- You may be eligible to attend professional conferences
- Develop an original lesson plan to bring advanced science concepts to your students
In addition to the work that ROCKET participants do in the lab, they also participate in workshops, seminars, social activities and field trips that provide them with increased networking and learning opportunities (not to mention fun).
All teachers that are accepted into the program are supported financially with competitive stipends. Capped grants are available to reimburse teachers for room, board and travel costs to the different institutions.
Teachers who excel may be invited to continue their participation in subsequent summers and attend professional conferences to share their ROCKET lesson plan.
Teachers accepted into the program are expected to work in their designated laboratory for 40 hours per week to complete an academically appropriate research project designed in conjunction with their advisor. These projects are designed according to both the participant's interests and abilities as well as the real needs of the research group. By the end of the six week session, teachers are expected to complete an abstract or summary of their research work and a presentation of the lesson plan they've created.
