2017-2018 Annual Report Singh Center for Nanotechnology
K-12 Outreach Collaboration During the 2017-2018 academic year, the Singh Center, and the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM) hosted monthly field trips for Philadelphia middle and high school students. During these visits, students had introductory lessons on Nanotechnology and Materials Science, had lunch, and went on campus tours. Some students also suited up for the clean room at the Quattrone Nanofabrication facility, where they observed and, when possible, assisted with lithography, etching, and soft-lithography. Over the course of the year, 124 students from four schools participated in the field trip program, of which 81% were under-represented minorities and 96% were low-income. All expenses (including transportation, lunch, and supplies) were covered for participating schools. One example of this activity is our center’s hosting a visit for students attending the Boy’s Latin of Philadelphia Charter School last year. Twenty-five students from this school gowned up and toured the cleanroom, and participated in lithography, etch, and microfluidics processing activities. Singh Staff also participated in career day events at the near-by Alexander Adaire Elementary school in May 2018. Staff explained the principles of nanofabrication through presentations with handouts and cleanroom gowning demonstrations throughout the day for kindergarten to 8th grade students.
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