Outreach

CASPER's Physics Circus is offered during the academic year in both English and Spanish and hosts over a 3000 school children and adults each year. This integrated learning experience immerses children from the 1st through 12th grade in a hands-on learning environment, introduces them to engineering and design concepts through various contests and provides them with a multimedia rich production exploring basic physics concepts in a unique and fun manner. (If you want to know what we mean, check out the pictures on the Physics Circus Web page!) The Physics Circus is currently being offered two weeks a year. Watch for your next opportunity to be a part of this exciting event!

In addition, CASPER RET Fellows are currently producing stand alone, fully integrated curriculum modules to allow the concepts explored by the Circus to be infused into the classroom. These modules are available to school systems along with in-service training session designed to introduce the concepts covered. Multiple in-service and pre-service opportunities are also available in multiple areas. (Distance learning, html authoring and grant writing are just a few of the in-service areas available through CASPER to professional teachers.)

CASPER also offers multiple summer research opportunities for college graduate and undergraduate students as well as high school students and teachers.

CASPER's Summer Undergraduate Research Program (sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Baylor University, the Physics Department and CASPER) offers outstanding undergraduates an opportunity for active research participation with Baylor University faculty. The primary purpose of the Summer Research Program is to expose undergraduates interested in graduate research to an actual research environment. The ten week program begins around the first of June and ends around the middle of August. (The starting and ending dates are flexible and may be adjusted by up to a week to fit personal schedules.) Interns are paid $3500 for the ten weeks, a housing allowance and up to a maximum of $300 toward travel expenses.

CASPER's Summer Research Experiences for Teachers Program (sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Baylor University, the Physics Department and CASPER) offers elementary school, middle school and high school teachers a summer of curriculum development opportunities or active research participation with Baylor University faculty in the Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics & Engineering Research. The primary purpose of the Summer RET Program is to allow teachers to develop new curriculum while interacting in a working research environment. This is part of a nation-wide effort to enable public school teachers the opportunity to infuse cutting edge science and technology into the classroom. The eight week program begins around the first of June and ends around the middle of August. (The starting and ending dates are flexible and may be adjusted by up to a week to fit personal schedules.) RET Fellows will be paid up to two months of their current annualized salary for the eight week period and may receive both continuing education and gifted and talented credits.

CASPER's Internship Program (sponsored by the Department of Education and CASPER) offers outstanding undergraduates the opportunity of a paid cooperative experience while at the same time becoming active in research with Baylor University faculty within the CASPER labs. CASPER coops are available year round and may be applied for at the beginning of any semester.

CASPER's Summer High School Scholars Program (sponsored by the Heart of Texas School to Careers Partnership and CASPER) offers outstanding high school students an opportunity to obtain college credit for a variety of courses as well as active research participation with Baylor University faculty within the CASPER labs. This program exposes talented high school students interested in research to an actual University research environment. The four week program begins around the first of July and ends around the end of the month. High School Scholars receive a tuition remission fellowship as well as a weekly stipend.

Additional information about all of the above can be found via the appropriate links on CASPER's main web page. For specific questions, please contact Dr. Truell Hyde.