Hooke College of Applied Sciences Hosts Summer Science Programs for Secondary and High School Teachers and Students
Hooke College of Applied Sciences Hosts Summer Science Programs for Secondary and High School Teachers and Students
Westmont, IL (June 20, 2011) – Hooke College of Applied Sciences (HCAS) will be hosting a series of summer programs starting today aimed at improving secondary and high school science education. HCAS is the education and training division of The McCrone Group (TMG).
In the spirit of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, HCAS is heeding the call of President Obama to better prepare the nation’s youth in science to meet future challenges with three different workshops hosted at its Westmont campus.
Microscopy Workshop for Middle and High School Science Teachers, led by HCAS instructors for the third straight year, is recognized by the Illinois Department of Education and Continuing Professional Development Units are available to participants. Also returning as instructors are Phil Sumida and Tom Schaefer, high school teachers who use the microscope extensively in their own classrooms.
Students will perform over 40 experiments during the weeklong course covering the use of the microscope in the classroom for a wide variety of topics including microchemical reactions, materials analysis, forensic trace evidence and biology. Participants will receive a Motic® compound microscope with a built-in digital camera and image capture software, along with the book How to Use the Microscope by John Gustav Delly, Scientific Advisor at Hooke College of Applied Sciences
“I couldn’t have asked for better instructors,” said previous participant Sarah Anderson, chemistry teacher at Lane Tech High School, Chicago, Illinois. “The instructors are all extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to and helpful. This is honestly one of the best classes I’ve taken.”
American Society for Metals (ASM) Materials Camp, hosted by HCAS in Westmont, is a six day course for high school students with strong abilities in math and science who desire to pursue a college major and career in engineering and/or materials science. This camp will provide an opportunity to use the same tools that professionals use to investigate real-life problems.
Focus on the Future, TMG’s monthly, invitation-only luncheon seminar for scientists and science educators, will include demonstrations on the use of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) as a teaching tool. Faculty from Schoolcraft College, in Livonia, MI., will share methods for incorporating SEM into college classroom curricula and creating a summer forensics camp for high school students. Jeff McGinn, president of McCrone Microscopes & Accessories, TMG’s instrument sales division, will showcase the microanalytical capabilities of the JEOL NeoScope, a tabletop SEM ideal for use in the classroom.
“Hooke College is committed to microscopy and microanalysis education – from teaching the fundamentals in high school and college to advanced techniques used by professionals,” said Charles Zona, Dean of HCAS. “These summer programs will help prepare our children for careers in science and help the U.S. compete globally.”