Students became the teachers in SCI 3750 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology course thanks to a unique partnership that has been fostered for more than a decade. Dr. Anne-Marie Nickel, professor in the Physics and Chemistry Department, has partnered with St. Joan Antida High School (SJA) for more than 15 years to develop a program that connects high schoolers with college students for a mutually beneficial learning experience.

The Nanoscience and Nanotechnology course explores basic science concepts in physics, chemistry, material science and biology that are critical to understanding nanoscale science and nanotechnology. To further students’ understanding of the course material, MSOE students create hands-on learning activities to teach SJA students nanotechnology concepts and applications. The high schoolers have a chance to learn about nanotechnology from near peers, while the MSOE students are reminded of how much they have learned in the class and how much they have developed as a college student. 

One group created a game inspired by the board game Operation to teach SJA students how quantum dots are used in medical imaging and medical diagnostics. “It was cool to take a topic that normally is very advanced and then actually tone it down a little bit and get more brass tacks about how nanoparticles and quantum dots specifically work,” said Alan Howell, MSOE mechanical engineering student.

Melissa Peppler, chemistry and engineering teacher at SJA, values field trips like these where her students can learn, be inspired and get a taste of college. This year, all of SJA’s college field trips were at MSOE, meaning every SJA student had a chance to visit MSOE’s campus. “It’s an opportunity for my students to see college-level work and also expand their understanding of science and engineering,” said Pepler.

Going from the teacher to an observer, Nickel enjoys seeing the progress in students and connections they make. “Students exhibit great creativity. It brings me joy when people have fun learning about science. I hope that I can inspire our students to look for opportunities to create engaging learning experiences for others.”

The MSOE students also present their work at Discovery World. This gives MSOE students another audience to present to and receive feedback from, and it provides Discovery World with new ideas for activities they could use in specialized classes.

Nickel extends her gratitude to Servant Leadership initiatives at MSOE for connecting her with her first teacher at SJA and to the CREATE Institute for helping establish her partnership with Discovery World.