Scanning Electron Microscope EDucatorS

Extract

Can you imagine the motivational value of a young adult being exposed to images of common day objects that they have an interest in, magnified ten, one hundred, or one thousand times? Then imagine the student learning the theory and operation of a scanning electron microscope. Finally, imagine walking into a laboratory to see these same students operating an SEM and taking their own micrographs.

For the past three years I have had the pleasure of teaching the laboratory portion of the SEMEDS program. The program's goal is not just to motivate high school students in science, but to expose them to the wonders of microscopy and how it affects their everyday life.

The program currently has three phases. During phase one, teachers from local high schools are contracted about the program. The teachers volunteer at the beginning of the school year then become students themselves during a four hour class.