March 2006 Issue

Workshop Spotlight

Green Engineering

This article is part of a series featuring workshops offered at this summer's teacher training workshops.

As part of the Center for Engineering Outreach's new Green Engineering content, this year's teacher training workshops include a special look at Environmental Engineering and the K-12 classroom.

Underlining the importance of environmental solutions in engineering, participating teachers will learn how environmental engineering can positively impact the environment.

In addition, this year's workshop project will investigate the engineering challenge of wastewater treatment. Teachers will find out the answer to the question, "Where does water go when it flows down the drain?", and organizers promise that there will be lots of icky, gross secrets to share with fascinated science students in the coming school year.

Adding to the educational value of this workshop, all of the engineering content for Green Engineering is being developed by faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering at Texas Tech.

"We're excited and grateful for everything the Department of Civil Engineering has brought to the table," remarked center director Dean Fontenot.

"Not only are they working with our partners in K-12 education to make sure that our workshop has solid engineering content, they're bringing their own ideas to the table and having an open dialogue with K-12 teachers about the education process as a whole."

Faculty from Texas Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and College of Architecture as well as administrators from the Outdoor School are contributing to the project's development also.

"Green Engineering is a terrific example of the partnerships that we develop here at the Center for Engineering Outreach," added Fontenot.

"With faculty and staff working in a truly interdisciplinary effort with K-12 educators, we're convinced that this year's workshop will be a unique and rewarding professional development experience."

Topics in this year's workshop will range from the water cycle and nitrogen cycle to filtration and flow rates. Educators can expect a solid foundation of systems as well as content aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Each workshop participant will receive an environmental education kit in addition to curriculum materials for the classroom. This year's workshop is scheduled for July 17-21 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.