Outreach to the broader community is central to Brown’s work as an academic institution.  One such initiative, the GK-12 program, "Physical processes in the environment," brings together Brown faculty, graduate students, and teachers from schools in Providence to collaboratively develop research and inquiry-based activities that will increase students'  understanding of, and interest in, science.  Funded by the National Science Foundation, the GK-12 program supports up to nine Brown graduate fellows in the sciences each year, and also provides training and paid summer research positions for Providence teachers and high school students in Brown University labs.

Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in Providence is one partner school in Brown's NSF funded GK-12 program. Vartan children in grades 3-5 participated in a celebration of the Year of China by  examining the history of science and technology in China and by creating posters which explored particular inventions. 

Students from Vartan Gregorian will visit Brown this fall as part of their annual GK-12 campus lab tours.  While on campus, they will also continue their investigation of Chinese culture, science, and technology with a viewing of their poster exhibit and simple lab displays and/or a Chinese lantern lighting.  This trip will be coordinated by the GK-12 program and the Science Center, and will be facilitated by Brown University faculty, staff, and students. 

For more information about the GK-12 program and Lab Tours, please contact: Karen Haberstroh.  For information on the poster exhibition please contact: Geeta Chougule and Professor Chung-I Tan.

Brown University students help to set up the poster exhibit at the Science Center