Program Description

2013 marks the 24th year of the Science and Engineering Program for Teachers at MIT!

For more than 20 years the MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT) has been engaging and enlightening teachers from around the world. Through a heavy dose of the latest and greatest science and engineering research delivered by MIT researchers and teachers, the program has reached teachers in a unique way through a drink of knowledge from the MIT "firehose". The program has managed to capture a snapshot of MIT and deliver it to teachers for one week every summer.

In those 20 years, the landscape of both teaching and research has changed dramatically. Lectures are now available online, the demands of the classroom have increased, and much research takes place not only in wet labs and wind tunnels, but also through the art and science of simulation. With this in mind, in 2010 we relaunched SEPT in the form of SEPT 2.0. This new version of SEPT aims to capture the unique experience of hearing about the latest in cutting-edge research while providing a more in-depth, hands-on experience with applications in and after school.

SEPT 2.0 focuses on a few themes of active MIT research each summer (e.g. climate change, traffic, disease), combining daily keynote lectures with opportunities to simulate and explore related phenomena using MIT created software and materials. Daily hands-on experience involves studying, modifying and even building computer simulations of these phenomena in a way that is accessible to novices and experts alike. It also includes learning about and participating in other MIT K-12 experiences (e.g. Lego DNA, BLOSSOMS, the Edgerton Center).

SEPT 2013 is sure to be exciting, and a syllabus will be forthcoming in June 2013. While the agenda is still a work in progress, it will include:

A daily lecture from MIT scientists on new frontiers in science and engineering research
Hands-on experience with computer simulations and curriculum built for in and after school implementation
Wet lab experiments led by MIT scientists
Additional exposure to MIT K-12 initiatives for students and teachers
Community-building activities for which SEPT has become known

It has always been our goal at SEPT that we keep our class size to a certain number each year to ensure that each participant gets the most out of his or her experience. Our curriculum offers a high faculty-student ratio, with a class size between 25 and 30 teachers.

Applicants to SEPT must be teaching full-time at the junior high school level or higher (or equivalent). Teachers will receive 40 hours of professional credit for their successful participation in the 2013 program, and will also become members of our active SEPT alumni network, the Network of Educators in Science and Technology (NEST).

2013 Schedule

Opening Reception:	Sunday, June 23, 2013, 4:00 p.m.
Closing Reception:	Friday, June 28, 2013, 6:00 p.m.
Program Lectures and Workshops:	Monday, June 24, – Friday, June 28, 2013, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closing Meeting/Intro to NEST	Saturday, June 29, 2013, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Please do not hesitate to contact our Program Coordinator, Lauren McNamara, at sept@mit.edu, with any questions you might have.

Continuing Education Units

For completion of the 40-hour program, participants will receive equivalent professional credit in the form of 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or 40 Professional Certification Program Credits (PCPs) from MIT. The program is not graded, therefore graduate credit is not offered.

Certificate of Completion

A certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the course.

Registration Fee

The fee for the course is $1,000.00. Course registration entitles you to:

Lodging on-campus in double-occupancy MIT dormitory housing
Three meals each day at any restaurant location on campus
Welcome reception and closing dinner
Course handouts and all other materials related to the program

Funding and Method of Payment

It is the participant's responsibility to seek funding. If a participant is sponsored, she or he must indicate the sponsor's name, organization, and contact information on the application. Teachers paying their own tuition may make payment directly to SEPT via personal check or credit card.