Outreach
Being a citizen of the Fort Worth community and beyond is an important part of the Andrews Institute. We reach out to adults who are teaching children through professional development workshops, to K-12 students through our student engagements, and to the greater community through lectures and sponsored events.
The Andrews Institute is pleased to be able to offer both one-time, afternoon/evening workshops as well as sustained, long-term workshops for teachers. The availability of workshops depends on the extent of external funding.
Cost: Funding by external sources makes it possible to present workshops each semester free of charge. Registration will usually be accepted until maximum enrollment has been achieved in each workshop. Please note that there is a minimum number of participants required in order to fund these workshops and a re-confirmation email will be sent out at least three days prior to the event.
CPE Credit: Teachers will be awarded continuing professional education (CPE) credit hours for each workshop attended.
In addition to working with pre-service and in-service teachers, we feel strongly about having opportunities to work with K-12 students.
There are no upcoming workshops. Please check back regularly for an updated list of events.
K-12 Programs (open to the public)
The Andrews Institute offers many K-12 programs are open to the public by registering on this site. The programs vary with the availability of presenters and space. We offer both one-day and multi-day experiences for K-12 students. The availability of workshop depends on the extent of external funding.
Please note that there is a minimum number of participants required in order to fund these workshops and a re-confirmation email will be sent out at least three days prior to the event.
Title |
Vehicle Construction |
| Date & Time | June 20 - 24, 2022 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Description | Kids will design and build cars, hovercraft, and boats propelled by balloons and rubber bands! Vehicles will come home to share with family and friends. |
| Audience | Children entering grades 3rd-5th Fall 2022 |
| Location | |
| Instructor | Angela Buffington, Ph.D. |
|
Max. Enrollment |
14 (CLOSED/waitlist only) |
Title |
Simple Machines |
| Date & Time | June 20 - 24, 2022 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM |
| Description | Levers, pulleys, and wheels Oh My! Students will learn six simple machines, Newton’s Laws and design and build Rube Goldberg contraptions to complete challenges! |
| Audience | Students entering grades 3rd-5th Fall 2022 |
| Location | Palko 221 |
| Instructor | Angela Buffington, Ph.D. |
| Max. Enrollment | 14 (CLOSED/waitlist only) |
Camp |
Science of Magic |
| Date & Time | July 18-22, 2022 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Description | Levitating, disappearing, or defying gravity, most magic tricks are really science! Kids will observe, learn, and practice tricks to share at home. |
| Audience | Children entering grades 3th-5th Fall 2022 |
| Location | Palko 221 |
| Instructor | Angela Buffington, Ph.D. |
| Max. Enrollment | 14 (1 spot available) |
Camp |
Chemical Reactions |
| Date & Time | July 18-22, 2022 12:00 PM-2:30 PM |
| Description | Students will tinker with chemical reactions, safely control reaction time and temperatures, and use the produced energy to inflate and propel. |
| Audience | Children entering grades 3th-5th Fall 2022 |
| Location | Palko 221 |
| Instructor | Anglea Buffington, Ph.D. |
| Max Enrollment | 14 (1 spot available) |
Register
Camp |
Electronics 101 |
| Date & Time | July 11-15, 2022 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
| Description | Students will learn the basics of electronics, circuitry, insulators, conductors batteries, wiring, motors, and soldering. |
| Audience | Children entering grades 4th-6th Fall 2022 |
| Location | Palko 221 |
| Instructor | Angela Buffington, Ph.D. |
| Max Enrollment | 14 (6 spots available) |
Register
Camp |
Electronics De/Reconstruction |
| Date & Time | July 11-15, 2022 12:00 PM - 2:30PM |
| Description | Students will learn tool use, wiring, soldering, and circuitry as they de-construct a household appliance and repurpose it into a battery powered machine. |
| Audience | Children entering grades 4th-6th Fall 2022 |
| Location | Palko 221 |
| Instructor | Angela Buffington, Ph.D. |
| Max Enrollment | 14 (6 spots available) |
Register
K-12 Programs (invitation only)
Through Andrews Institute partnerships with school districts and community organization, we collaborate to provide K-12 students with the opportunity to work with scientists, mathematicians and educators at TCU. These programs are by invitation only. Students may be invited to participate in a program designed for students who have shown unusual talent in mathematics or science. These students would have accelerated and advanced programs. Other students may be invited to participate in a program designed for those who are at risk of not achieving at grade level in mathematics and science.
Some programs are developed in response to requests by partnering school districts, therefore only including students selected by the district. Others may be funded by an external source with specific requirements as to who may attend.
Research opportunities:
- Bat research
- Physics
- Chemistry
Past Programs include:
- Lego Robotics with Starpoint School
- Lego Robotics with U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
- Math/Science/Language FWISD Summer School (funded by J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation)
- Number Sense with 7th Graders
- Math/Science Trail – FWISD (funded by Chesapeake Energy)
- The Physics, Chemistry and Biology of Water
- Put Your Math Goggles On: Art in Mathematics
The Andrews Institute is invested in providing K-12 students with the opportunity to work with scientists, mathematicians and educators at TCU. Through grants provided by the Andrews Institute, TCU faculty are able to pursue their research project and provide outreach to K-12 students in the form of workshops, camps, and other educational programs. To learn more about some of Andrews Institute funded research projects, please check out the list shared below.
Paschal High School Turtle Survey
Andrew Brinker, Paschal High School
This project provides high school students with an innovative educational experience, while also gaining insight into the population dynamics and ecology of the turtles living in the Trinity River. Students and faculty from Paschal High School and TCU sample turtles monthly in the Trinity River, mainly north of TCU, where the river crosses underneath the South University Drive. The group traps and observes map turtles, sliders, cooters and musk turtles as well as snapping turtles/softshells. The group will weigh, measure (carapace, plastron lengths and widths), hard mark on the marginal scutes, and PIT tag the turtles prior to releasing them back into the river. Softshell turtles are be tattooed on their ventral sides as shell notching isn’t possible. Science education doctoral candidate Shelly Wu and master’s student/PHS teacher Brook Salazar will research how the experience influences the high school students.
TCU Bat Monitoring Program
Dr. Victoria Bennett, TCU College of Science & Engineering
Sustainable Seafood Initiative in Peru: Exploring Assumptions
Danielle Biffi, Science Education Ph.D. Candidate
Peru is experiencing a “gastronomic boom” that is increasing the demand for seafood. Based on the idea that consumers have the power to reduce the demand of endangered species, several market-based initiatives have been created to inform consumers about sustainable choices.
The team will investigate two implicit assumptions that consumer-based initiatives hold: that the fish recommended is healthy for consumers and that the fish are not mislabeled. They will test these assumptions by collecting fish samples from markets and restaurants. Lastly, they will determine their mercury content and sequence their DNA in order to identify the fish species.
TCU Horny Toad Project
Dean Williams, TCU College of Science & Engineering
Chemistry Connections
Kayla Green, TCU College of Science & Engineering