About NEET
A joint effort by Rice University, Arizona State University (ASU), The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and Yale University, the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) is the first national center to develop next-generation water treatment systems enabled by nanotechnology. The aim is to enable access to suitable water almost anywhere in the world by developing high performance, easy-to-deploy systems for drinking water and industrial wastewater treatment systems enabled by nanotechnology.
In collaboration with NEWT, the Rice Office of STEM Engagement offers NanoEnvironmental Engineering for Teachers (NEET), which is designed to serve AP Environmental Science teachers, Environmental Systems teachers, and Biology/Life Sciences teachers. NEET takes place in the Greater Houston, TX Area; Greater El Paso, TX Area; and the Greater Phoenix, AZ Area with support from NEWT, R-STEM, UTEP, and ASU staff and faculty.
The program culminates in an engineering design showcase provided teachers with a unique opportunity to present their semester engineering projects to their peers, school administrators, and NEWT members. The showcase served to help develop the teacher’s scientific communication skills. Each group creates an engineering poster designed at a level that should excite the students in their classroom and inspire interest in engineering. Each poster explains the problem they addressed, a detailed explanation of their design, how the design was tested, and the possible modifications, limitations, and overall impact of their design.
NEET Benefits
The purpose of the program is to increase the content knowledge of educators and to empower them in implementing rigorous project-based engineering activities on the topic of water sustainability in the classroom. The goals of NEET are to:
- Think reflectively and critically about current teacher practices;
- Improve secondary teachers' understanding of advanced placement and state standards;
- Facilitate the transformation of teacher practice through the exploration of best practices in educational pedagogy;
- Disseminate NEWT research conducted at Rice University, Arizona State University (ASU), The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and Yale University; and
- Support NEET participants in the application of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and engineering practices.
NEET has helped me to create an environment where students think outside the box. They ask more questions and have become more inventive.
Spring 2021 NEET Program*
Participation in NEET includes attending the spring sessions and presenting in the NEET Showcase. Program dates and other program expectations are listed below.
The application window has been extended for the UTEP location only until December 3, 2020. Applications for all other locations closed on November 29, 2020—agreement forms are due by this day. All applicants will receive an email update regarding their status by December 4, 2020.
- Spring Training
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Participants are required to attend regular Thursday evening classes and the final NEET Showcase.
Thursdays | January 14–April 22, 2021
ASU and UTEP class: 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. MT
Rice class: 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. CTNo classes the week of March 18, 2021
- NEET Showcase
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April 22, 2020
Rice University & Arizona State University,Tempe Campus - Applications
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Applicants will be selected by December 4, 2020. Space is very limited, therefore, completing the application process does NOT guarantee placement in the program.
NEET is designed for current AP Environmental Science teachers, Environmental Systems teachers, and Biology/Life Sciences teachers from the Greater Houston, TX; Greater El Paso, TX; and Greater Phoenix, AZ areas. Teachers* from these areas who do not teach one of these subjects are welcome to apply, but will not receive priority consideration. Once the NEET program reaches capacity, all future applicants will be placed on a wait list.
Applicants will be required to submit a signed Participant Acknowledgement Letter (PAL) with their application. By signing the form, the applicant agrees to participate during the spring 2020 training.
If you are unable to upload the form to your application, you can: email them to stem@rice.edu.
*Due to our funding source, participants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.
- Benefits & Expectations
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The expectations of NEET participants include, but are not limited to:
- Attending and participating in all virtual training sessions from Rice/ASU/UTEP;
- Attending and participating in the NEET Showcase in April;
- Participating in and completing group projects; and
- Timely completion and submission of all course assignments and homework.
For completing all program requirements, participants will receive:
- A $600 stipend;
- A materials kit;
- 45 hours of sustained and supported professional development at Rice University, UTEP, or ASU in Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning (PBL);
- 6 hours of G/T professional development credit, subject to principal approval;
- 3 hours of graduate credit from Rice University (available upon special application plus a $150 registration fee);
- New strategies to engage high school students in water sustainability;
- Lectures from NEWT faculty on cutting-edge Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) research; and
- Opportunities for student campus and lab tours.
- Program Flyer
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Below is copy of the NEWT NEET flyer. You can access a PDF version for download here.
NEET Administration
If you have any questions about NEET, you can contact the program lead.
Christina Crawford, M.S.Ed.
Associate Director for Science & Engineering
713-348-4761 | cc45@rice.edu
*Program times, dates, locations, and compensation subject to change before the first day of the program.
