Home - Background - Labs

The NTEP Collaboration is based upon teaching/learning models that are analogous to the way scientists discover knowledge and solve problems with the goal of promoting effective development efforts in science. All nine NTEP programs were designed around the use of immersion experiences that model scientific inquiry. The immersion experiences, facilitated by scientists at the laboratories, took teachers through a process of modeling inquiry, while providing science content knowledge. Teachers did the actual experiments and planning involved in scientific research and participated in the problem-solving process. The NTEP institutes also developed teacher-leadership teams that undertook systemic improvements of science education in their schools and districts. Labs offered programs as summer institutes and follow-up sessions during the academic year.

The purpose of this Website is to disseminate some of those research scenarios as online classroom projects. Where appropriate, the online classroom projects incorporate student access to lab data and an opportunity to tele-collaborate with other students.

NTEP is an eight-year effort funded by two grants from the National Science Foundation and matching funds from the US Department of Energy. The first three-year grant funded three one-year teacher enhancement programs at five DOE national laboratories:

Argonne National Laboratory - Mid-level Program
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory - Mid-level Program
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Elementary Program
Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Elementary Program
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Elementary Program

The second five-year grant supported programs at nine sites:

Argonne/Fermilab - Midlevel Program
Brookhaven National Laboratory - Elementary - Mid-level Program
National Renewable Energy Laboratory - Mid-level program
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Mid-level Program
Los Alamos National Laboratory - Elementary Program
Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Elementary Program
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Elementary Program
Princeton Plasma Physics Program - Intermediate - Mid-level Program
Sandia National Laboratories - California - Elementary Program

Eight of these programs offered three-year leadership programs to teachers who had attended one of the previous enhancement program, and one offered three one-year teacher enhancement programs.