Etste DCL - collaborative research: teacher chip professional learning program

The National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education awarded a $539,534 Project Grant (CFDA 47.076 - STEM Education) to Northern Virginia Community College on October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2028. This collaborative research initiative develops a regional professional learning community focused on integrating semiconductor (CHIP) industry content and evidence-based instructional practices into secondary education. The primary deliverables include comprehensive professional development for 8th through 10th grade teachers through field-based capacity building experiences with industry partners, co-design of interactive PhET Interactive Simulations and accompanying lesson plans, summer institute participation, and train-the-trainer opportunities enabling peer instruction.

The project leverages partnerships between Northern Virginia Community College's Systemic Program, the University of Colorado Boulder's PhET Interactive Simulations Project, Arlington Public Schools, regional industry partners including Stack Infrastructure and Micron Technology, and national networks such as the Micro Nano Technology Education Center and the STEM Education Innovation Center. Through these collaborative efforts, the grant aims to establish teacher leadership capacity and facilitate the integration of semiconductor industry knowledge and data center operations into mainstream secondary science curricula, thereby addressing critical workforce development needs in the advanced technology sector.

Abstract

Responding to education and workforce demands for supporting the growth of the chip industry in the country, the team from northern virginia community college's systemic program and the team from university of colorado boulder's phet interactive simulations project intends to develop an essential linchpin between education and industry. The aim of the project is to establish a regional professional learning community of well-qualified 8TH through 10TH grade teachers, who are intended to be at the forefront of integrating chip industry content and evidence-based practices into secondary education classroom instruction. The project is built upon partnerships among teachers, industry representatives, discipline-based educators, and instructional designers that place content expertise and experience in the physical sciences and advanced technologies at the center of project activities. Partners include the arlington public schools, regionally based industry partners (stack infrastructure and micron technology), nanotechnology industry networks (such as the micro nano technology education center funded by the advanced technological education program, the stem education innovation center, and the associated universities incorporated), the maryland stem ecosystem, the women's aerospace network, and other local educational agencies. The regional focus on secondary education teachers allows and supports a comprehensive professional development effort for teachers. This includes field-based capacity building experiences with industry partners; development of leadership skills; CO-design of interactive phet simulations and lesson plans for teaching the fundamental science principles behind the chip industry and data center operations; participation in summer institutes; and opportunities to teach peers (TRAIN-the-TRAINER). The overarching goal of the project is to establish a regional professional learning community of grade 8-10 physical stem teachers to integrate chip industry content and high impact workforce practices with classroom instruction. In addition, the project expects to answer the following questions: (a) what opportunities can teachers leverage to develop chip industry-integrated teaching resources for grades 8-10 physical science? And (B) how can a professional learning community of teacher leaders advance the adoption of industry-integrated resources in physical science classrooms? Along with the project team, fifteen teachers (2 master fellows, 13 fellows) will form the regional professional learning community. The 3-year professional development opportunity aims to address nationally recognized and regionally significant education and workforce needs for chip manufacturing and operations. Project feedback, monitoring, and a mixed methods evaluation will document and assess two project components essential to the success of the project. The project intends to examine an approach to leveraging existing and recent opportunities to develop and implement chip industry-integrated teaching resources that focus on new and existing phet materials. Additionally, IT also intends to investigate the effectiveness of establishing a professional learning community of teacher leaders to advance the adoption of high-quality industry-integrated resources and instructional strategies in 8TH through 10TH grade physical science classrooms. The project has the potential to enhance practice, to contribute to the knowledge base, and to understand the role of professional development in integrating traditional and emerging stem disciplines and skills into secondary education classrooms. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program and is supported in part by funds from intel corporation under the etste DCL. The program focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.