GK-12: Engaging graduate students and post-docs in integrating and communicating their research in middle school classrooms “participating in GK12 was the single best decision I have made in my professional life and it will forever influence my career path in the future” (Purdue Grad Student)

GK-12 is an exciting program organized through the Graduate School that gives Masters, Ph.D., and Post-doctoral students a mentored, in-depth opportunity to share their research with K-12 students and teachers in a local middle school. This provides graduate and Post-doctoral students with enhanced skills and experience in outreach, teaching, and communication of their research with diverse audiences. Past participants have found that it also makes them more competitive for academic and professional jobs.

After an initial training session, participants in the GK-12 program will learn from and assist teachers in a local middle school for approximately one day a week for 10 weeks, and by the end of the semester they will develop and teach a lesson based on their interests and research. This is an extension of a very successful externally-funded program that ran for several years, and has now been successfully transitioned to a graduate school program. While this program does not provide funding directly to the student or post doc, some modest funding is available for expenses associated with materials for in-class activities. Students may elect to register for 2 credit hours for their involvement, or simply do this program as a voluntary activity, and the program is open to all Masters, Ph.D., and Post-Doc students at Purdue (any and all disciplines).

For more information, please check out the two-page brochure that outlines the program for this coming semester at https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ourfq42q17wcu3/Fall%202017%20Participant%20Brochure.pdf?dl=0, and the website of the program at https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/gspd/gk-12/index.html. For any additional questions or information please contact the program coordinator, Mohan Yang, at yang1178@purdue.edu.