RET Teacher Leads Area High School Visit to Promote STEM Opportunities

CIVS hosted Morton High School Juniors and Sophomores on May 18. The demonstration included simulation and visualization applications as well as hands-on VR experiences. The students were accompanied by their teacher, Shermaine Brown-Wade, who participated in CIVS’s NSF Research Experience for Teachers program last summer.

During the RET program, Shermaine researched at CIVS for 6-weeks to develop a VR chemical safety application. The application aims to teach industry-standard safety practices in steel mills. The class field trip was part of the RET project’s goals. The program requires teachers to share their research experiences with their students and introduce them to STEM-related careers and opportunities.

This summer, CIVS will conduct the RET program for the third year in a row supported by the National Science Foundation. The session will include 20 new and returning teachers from all over Northwest Indiana who completed a rigorous application process.