CLICK. BUILD. LEARN

ASEE Prism, Sep 2007 by Mathias-Riegel, Barbara

"We ask students to do basic statistical analysis, and by going to sites near or at their hometown, it's more interesting in context to their life," Mooney says.

Living Labs is primarily for middle and high school, but Mooney 's team is looking at elementary school as well. "We already know that elementary teachers are using Living Labs and simplifying it for their classes," he says. "Renewable energy is such a hot thing right now that the kids are really interested in it. It's a good resource for teachers."

The key to TE's success lies not just in a quality curriculum but in reaching K-12 teachers and showing them how the system works. Sullivan notes that ASEE helps with marketing strategy by allowing TE to tap into the society's various publications and services. "ASEE is our intellectual partner," says Sullivan. "We're pushing hard together."

Barbara Mathias-Riegel is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.