An NCLT Nanoscience Workshop was conducted at Hampton University, VA, from June 25 to 26, 2007. The two-day workshop was attended by a diverse group of people, including seven teachers from the surrounding Tidewater area, four high school students, two undergraduate, four researchers and two graduate students all from Hampton University. The workshop was conducted by two members of the NCLT staff and a high school chemistry teacher.

The workshop began with an introduction on nanoscience/nanotechnology and relayed the importance of training up a nano-literate workforce that will contribute to the global competitiveness in the emerging nano-based marketplace. This introduction was followed by hands-on activities designed to introduce one of the most fundamental concepts that cuts across most nanoscale phenomena: surface area-to-volume ratio. Several interactive simulations were also used to reinforce the learning of scale, scientific notation and powers of 10 concepts. As a culminating activity for the surface area-to-volume ratio unit, the high school students demonstrated a card game, NanoCos developed by NCLT. A conclusion to the first day was a poster session and demonstration from the high school students showing the workshop participants their research on spectroscopic emissions of quantum dots that they are currently working with at Hampton University.

On the second day, workshop attendees participated in more hands-on activities learning about the interaction of light waves with matter of varying structural sizes, ranging from the macroscale to the nanoscale. At the end of the workshop, each participant was also able to make their own photonic crystals in the form of artificial opals. The two-day workshop concluded with an overview of current applications of nanotechnology in everyday consumer goods so that teachers can better relate to the potential impact nanotechnology will have in their students’ everyday environment. Teachers expressed their desire to use the activities in the coming school year and how they might “squeeze” nano concepts into their curricula. Hampton researchers intend to adopt the hands-on activities introduced in the two-day workshop to inspire and excite scores of middle school and elementary school kids visiting Hampton University in their upcoming July outreach program.