George Mason helps teachers bring quantum science into K-12 classrooms
Support from Booz Allen Foundation facilitates hands on learning and curriculum brainstorming.
Quantum technologies are poised to transform computing, communications, national security, and other fields. At George Mason University, faculty are working to ensure students do not have to wait until college to begin imagining themselves as part of that future.
Through a growing series of professional development opportunities, George Mason’s Quantum Science and Engineering Center (QSEC) is partnering with K-12 educators to make quantum science approachable, relevant, and practical for students.
That work accelerated this summer, when educators participated in a three-day professional learning experience supported by the NSF-funded Quantum in the Middle initiative and the Booz Allen Foundation. Led by faculty from George Mason’s College of Science and College of Education and Human Development, the program helped teachers explore quantum concepts, consider age-appropriate approaches for their classrooms, and examine how quantum learning can build from elementary school through higher education.
“We’re building pathways into quantum and connecting them to the standards and curriculum teachers already use,” said Jessica Rosenberg, professor of physics and astronomy and QSEC director of education. “We want students to encounter these ideas early, build the knowledge they’ll need over time, and be ready for quantum opportunities when they reach college or pursue quantum-adjacent technical careers.”
Teachers are central to developing that pathway. Summer participants explored classroom activities and were invited to test them with their students, giving George Mason faculty an opportunity to learn directly from educators about what works in real classrooms.
“We’re developing a roadmap educators can use from elementary through high school, but we’re developing it with teachers, not simply for them,” said Nancy Holincheck, associate professor of STEM education and QSEC associate director of education. “Their experience and feedback help us identify activities that spark curiosity, build confidence, and give students the foundation to see themselves in future quantum careers.”
That teacher-focused effort continues this fall with Quantum in Your Classroom, a one-day professional development workshop Oct. 3 on George Mason’s Fairfax Campus. Designed for educators with no previous quantum experience, the workshop introduces quantum concepts and provides classroom resources for grades 6-12. Teachers explore quantum processes through activities including a simple polarization experiment and receive curriculum materials adaptable for elementary and secondary classrooms.
The summer and fall programs reflect an interdisciplinary partnership bringing together expertise in quantum science, curriculum development, and teacher preparation. They also help address a challenge educators themselves have identified: developing the confidence to introduce students to complex, rapidly evolving science while ensuring those lessons prepare students for their next academic step.
Support from the Booz Allen Foundation, through its TechXplore initiative, is helping George Mason expand those opportunities and connect more young people with advanced technology learning experiences.
For Rosenberg and Holincheck, the goal extends beyond individual workshops or lessons. They envision an educational pathway that allows a student’s first encounter with quantum science to grow into deeper learning, higher education, and ultimately participation in an emerging workforce.
Quantum in Your Classroom gives educators a place to start, while giving George Mason researchers something equally valuable: the perspective of teachers who understand how students learn and can help shape how the quantum workforce journey begins.
By putting teachers at the center of that work, George Mason is helping quantum education reach students where their curiosity often begins: in the classroom.
