Teacher Research Academy (TRA)

NPI sponsors teachers chosen to attend the Teacher Research Academy (TRA) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California. The TRA offers middle school, high school and community college faculty unique professional development experiences at LLNL. TRA teachers participate in a continuum of standards-based instruction, taking them from novice to mastery in exciting scientific disciplines. The goal is to provide teachers with a real-world context in which to teach science.

The Teacher Research Academy is designed as a unique professional development experience where educators meet scientists, learn to use science equipment and processes, and experience science through direct involvement. Participants attend lectures by LLNL scientists, take part in hands-on experiments, and tour various lab facilities, with the expectation that they will share these experiences with students and fellow educators over the next year.

Teachers who complete the TRA:

• Increase their understanding of science and technology.
• Become experienced using scientific equipment to perform standards aligned experiments.
• Are better able to provide students a context to understand how science is applied.
• Are better able to guide student research projects

For additional information about participating in the Teacher Research Academy, contact Valerie Segovia, NPI Director of Outreach and Development.