Our outreach and education program is built on the strategic steps Engagement, Growth, and Transition. Attracting talented and capable research students for nanotechnology research opportunities is one of the Nanocenter's primary educational goals. Its educational efforts begin at the primary school level. Attempting to increase K-12 student awareness of nanoscience, the Nanocenter's Research Experiences for Teachers, an RET program administered by the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, provides selected high school teachers with related research experience to bring back to their classrooms.

In addition, the Nanocenter has established an aggressive recruitment program for available research opportunities with special efforts made to draw individuals from historically underrepresented groups on the undergraduate level. This summer, its Research Experiences for Undergraduates program (REU), in coordination with related programs at Columbia in the MRSEC, EMSI and Chemistry Department, brings seven outstanding collegians from throughout the United States to the CU campus to gain valuable laboratory research experience by pairing each participant with a faculty mentor, and providing them with a unique project tailored to his/her abilities and interests.

Activities to help our constituents grow include a very successful and innovative Engineering Clinic program at Rowan University, where students use theoretical nanoscience concepts to create practical devices. We also have instituted a new survey course in Nanotechnology directed toward advanced undergraduates and first year graduate students and taught through Applied Physics. In the fall of 2003 we instituted a new nanotechnology course in the Chemistry department taught by Prof. David Adams. In addition, we have developed activities to help our constituency make a transition into the real world of nanotechnology. Accordingly we have developed a set of short courses for doing this.