K-12

William Phillips (Nobel Laureate '97) uses liquid nitrogen to introduce the freezing cold world of quantum science to 600 middle school students at a partner event — RQS investigator William Phillips (Nobel Laureate '97) uses liquid nitrogen to introduce the freezing cold world of quantum science to 600 middle school students at an education partner event

Quantum Activity Kit for Middle and High School Students

RQS is leading the design and distribution of hands-on activity kits, which will be distributed to middle and high school classrooms around our five universities. Students will learn about the polarization of light through creative challenges and connect those classical physics concepts to quantum effects. These kits are developed in collaboration with the GOAL Kit program at the University of Maryland.

Please contact rqs@umd.edu if you would like to use these kits. To access the activity kit resources, please visit: go.umd.edu/quantumkits

Activity Kit Team at Maryland Day — RQS Activity Kit team, RQS students, at Maryland Day 2024.

K-12 Teacher Professional Development

RQS runs workshops to educate K-12 teachers on quantum concepts and helps them design a curriculum that incorporates quantum concepts and hands-on activity kits. The goal is to equip teachers with the strategies and tools they need to increase general quantum awareness and interest by their students, as well as create pathways for students to pursue quantum science in higher education.

Teachers discuss light polarization April PD at UMD — Workshop facilitator and Morgan State Professor Maajida Murdock demonstrates polarization with another teacher, as the teachers-in-training work through the activity kits.

Summer Programs

We facilitate a quantum key distribution activity for middle and high school students attending STEM summer camps at the University of Maryland (Advanced Physics Camp, Cyber Defense Camp). Campers also tour our quantum research labs and meet RQS graduate students. Learn more here.

Seed Grant Awards for K-12 Programs

RQS offers seed funding to support projects that advance the research and education mission of the Institute and the careers of its junior researchers. The institute has awarded two seed grants to support the development of high school quantum computing summer programs at Morgan State University and North Carolina Central University.