Northeast Bioenergy and Bioproducts Institute at University of Maryland Eastern Shore: Enhancing Bioenergy Literacy fo

1. Northeast Bioenergy and Bioproducts Institute at University of Maryland Eastern Shore: Enhancing Bioenergy Literacy for Educators in STEAM MadhumiMitra, Ph.D. , University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland, USA AbhijitNagchaudhuri, Ph.D., University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland, USA Corinne Rutzke, Ph.D., Cornell University, New York, USA This project is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant no. 2011-67009-30055 from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

2. ABOUT THE PROGRAMSTEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics • NBB—Northeast Bioenergy and Bioproducts Programs—changed to NBBEP-National Bioenergy and BioproductsEducational Programs (2012)-multidisciplinary program • Partnership among Cornell University (lead university), University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State University, Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center (OSU), Boyce Thompson Institute , and Pace University Energy and Climate Center • Programs: Train –The-Trainer Program (6 weeks); One-Week Workshop (at all sites), and Summer Research Internships

3. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • Better appreciation for bioenergy and bio-based products and their implications on climate change/environment, foreign policies, rural, regional, and national economies. “Broad education to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context” (one of the ABET outcomes). • Objective: To provide a systems perspective in bioenergy and bioproducts to STEAM educators and researchers • Curricula refinement in grades 8-16 in the schools and university incorporating more bioenergy and bioproducts materials in the curricula and STEAM courses. • Objective: To provide curricular materials and tools for educators in Bioenergy and Bioproducts • Motivate and inspire students to pursue careers in the STEAM disciplines with appreciation of sustainable issues. • Objective: To implement the curricular materials in classrooms • Strengthening collaborations with existing partners as well as school systems for future projects (both research and education) on bioenergy and bio-based projects, and global climate change. • Objective: To leverage other ongoing activities and training and also initiate and expand multidisciplinary collaborations

4. Consistent with UMES land grant mission • Recycles waste into a useful commodity • Does not compete with land for growing food • Reduces dependence on foreign oil • Environmentally friendly/Carbon Neutral • Useful byproducts • Supports BBEP goals

5. MTT-Master Teacher Trainers • Two professors—one in Agriculture and the other in Chemistry • Three High School Teachers—Agriculture, Biology, and Technology • Research Technician—Chemistry • Two Graduate Teaching Assistants-one in Biology and the other one in Environmental Sciences • Two undergraduate rising seniors (who participated in research throughout the year)- one in General Engineering and the other in Electrical Engineering Technology

6. One-Week Institute Requirements Daily Attendance Pre and Post Workshop Content Survey Daily Readings Classroom Integration Plan Workshop Evaluation and Feedback Classroom Follow Up Final Integration Survey

7. STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULUM(Standards for Technological Literacy) http://www.iteaconnect.org/Publications/AAAS/TTT%20Clean%20Fuels.pdf Technology teachers are part of the global solution for educating a greater public about energy inputs, processes, and outputs as indicated in Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA,2000/2002/2007): • Standard 5 – the effects of technology on the environment, • Standard 15 – agricultural and related biotechnologies, • Standard 16 – energy and power technologies, and • Standard 18 – transportation technologies. Therefore, technology teachers need reliable and basic information about renewable energy technologies to incorporate into their classroom instruction in order to better fulfill STL. Teaching Students about Clean Fuels and Transportation Technologies – Joe Busby & P.P. Carpenter The Technology Teacher • April 2009

8. NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS • Science as Inquiry-abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry; understandings about scientific inquiry • Physical Science-chemical reactions • Life Science-matter, energy, organization in living systems • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives-natural resources; environmental quality

9. OTHER NATIONAL STANDARDS The National Council for Agricultural Education (NCAE) has school-based agricultural education (SBAE) cluster standards for grades 9-12—Environmental Service Systems, Plant Systems National Council for Teachers in Mathematics (NCTM)—Measurement Standard, Data Analysis and Probability Standards, Process Standards

10. NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDSRelevance of STEM to everyday life • The National Research Council; The National Science Teachers Association; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Achieve-Framework for K-12 Science Education ( will be released for adoption for spring 2013) • The students must be engaged at the nexus of three dimensions: 1) Practices: “inquiry” in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires; key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models and systems; 2) Cross cutting Concepts—have applications across all domains of science; interrelations from all disciplines of science; 3) Disciplinary Core Ideas—4 domains: the physical sciences; the life sciences; the earth and space sciences; engineering, technology, and applications of science.

11. RACE TO THE PUMPS GAME Enthusiastic participants at the Manokin River Park in Princess Anne, MD Race to the Pumps Game

12. LAB ACTIVITIES-GRASSES TO SUGAR

13. ON-CAMPUS FIELD TRIP Biodiesel facility at UMES Algal Photobioreactor UMES Solar Farm

14. ON-CAMPUS FIELD TRIP MTT Participants at the UMES field site Switchgrass field site

15. OFF-CAMPUS FIELD TRIP—Greenlight Biofuels, Princess Anne, MD Waste to fuel cycle

16. MAKING A SIMPLE ALGAL PHOTOBIOREACTOR

17. LAB ACTIVITIES-CONVERSION OF VIRGIN OIL TO BIODIESEL Biodiesel Lab Participant at the Biodiesel lab

18. BIODIESEL FACILITY AT UMES

19. Waste vegetable oil heated, filtered to remove water and food particles prior to feeding into Biopro. Waste vegetable oil heated, filtered to remove water and food particles prior to feeding into Biopro.

20. Oil was fed into Biopro, along with Methanol, Sulfuric Acid, & Sodium Hydroxide ( Esterification & Transesterification)

21. Processing stages in the Biopro190

22. After 24 hours, glycerin by-product drained off and used to make soap

23. BIOPRODUCTS LAB--GLYCERIN SOAP MAKING Dr. Mitra instructing the participants about the glycerin soap making process MTT participants in the process of making soaps from the glycerin derived as a by-product from the conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel at UMES

24. GLYCERIN SOAP MAKING Using the immersion blender to mix glycerin, lye, lauric acid, coconut oil. Soap making—the final stage

25. OTHER BIOPRODUCTS LAB Shrink Wrap Soyfoam Traditional vs. Soy cleaners

26. MTT PRESENTATIONS

27. OUTCOMES/RESULTS

28. OUTCOMES/RESULTS • Positive outcomes in classrooms---student learning; surveys conducted by individual educators; improved scores in the post-tests; enhancing awareness of environmentally-friendly practices such as reducing waste, promoting recycling, and advancing the “green initiative” on campus as well as on the lower Eastern Shore • Students have better understanding of bioenergy and bioproducts and also the interconnectedness of the disciplines; • Better appreciation of the STEAM disciplines and increased interest in pursuing STEAM careers.

29. CONCLUSIONS • The activities in the project are consistent with the recommendations of the National Academies (Science and Engineering) with regard to transformational changes to agricultural, science, and engineering education for the new century and provide a foundation for continued education endeavors. • Some of the activities (algae photobioreactor, biodiesel from cooking oil, environmentally-friendly soap making, and grasses to sugar) from the institute are permanently incorporated in agriculture, food, and resource sciences; marine and environmental sciences; engineering curricula; and other STEAM courses. • Attracting students interested in pursuing their STEAM degrees with a focus on sustainability issues. Currently there are more than 50 students (from the STEAM areas) involved with experiential learning in bioenergy and bioproducts. • The classroom tools, lab kits, and workbooks are self-sustaining for the educators not just in their classrooms but to other teachers through sharing of resources. • The knowledge in the training sessions is transferable to other regions of the country—NATIONAL BIOENERGY AND BIOPRODUCTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

30. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • This project is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grant no. 2011-67009-30055 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). • Graduate research and teaching assistant in the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Sciences: Henry Xavier • Undergraduate research assistants in Engineering: James Amajene, UcheEzechi, and David Ari • Greenlight Biofuels for the field trip

31. "The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction."-Rachel Carson THANK YOU!