Professional Development
- GIFT Program (Georgia Immersive Fellowships for Teachers) - A summer professional development program for Georgia K-12 teachers that provides STEM immersive experiences in university research labs, industry, and informal science educational institutions. Teachers gain real-world context and hands-on experience to develop innovative, relevant curricula and help students build awareness of STEM career pathways.
- Code.org - CEISMC serves as Georgia’s Code.org Regional Partner, working to prepare K–12 teachers to lead effective computer science classrooms. The partnership provides high‑quality local workshops led by Code.org‑accredited facilitators, supports districts and schools implementing Code.org’s K–12 programs, strengthens the statewide community of computer science educators, and helps remove barriers to achieving equity in K–12 CS education.
- Georgia Tech Research Institute Direct to Discovery - Direct to Discovery delivers the subject matter STEM expertise of Georgia Tech directly to Georgia's K12 classrooms through virtual learning experiences focused on STEM inquiry and design. Direct to Discovery enables students to interact with world-class scientists and engineers, engage in real-world STEM inquiry and design, and remotely access select Georgia Tech research facilities.
- Georgia Tech Research Institute Explorers' Guild - Since 1999, the Explorers’ Guild (EG) program has delivered free professional learning to Georgia’s K-12 educators. The EGs focus on equipping educators with critical STEM skills and strategies to incorporate pedagogy effectively into instruction.
- Georgia Tech’s Energy Policy and Innovation Center “Energy 101” - This video-based mini-MOOC (massive open online course) provides high-level and regional perspectives on energy systems, resources, economics, policy, and technology fundamentals. Designed for a general audience, these short modules support educators in strengthening their understanding of core energy concepts.
- STEAM Leadership Conference - Watch recordings of past virtual sessions in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Tours
- Many labs, maker-spaces, buildings, and research groups on Georgia Tech's campus offer tours to groups of both K-12 students and teachers. You can view links to various tour offerings here.
Curriculum
- STEM-ID (STEM Innovation and Design) - A middle school engineering curriculum that engages students in hands‑on design challenges integrating math and science concepts. Developed through the NSF‑funded AMP‑IT‑UP project, STEM‑ID strengthens creativity, problem‑solving, and foundational STEM skills.
- EarSketch - This free, standards‑aligned computer science curriculum engages students through project‑driven learning that blends coding with music creation. Using Python or JavaScript, students strengthen computational thinking and problem‑solving skills as they compose, remix, and produce music in EarSketch’s digital audio workstation. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school classrooms and emphasizes creativity, student engagement, and hands‑on exploration of computer science concepts.
- The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design - Georgia Tech is committed to making The Kendeda Building accessible to everyone, which includes students, educators, and visitors alike. To engage younger learners, CEISMC has created one-week science lesson plans for K-12 students across Georgia. These lessons align with state curriculum standards and use The Kendeda Building as a real-world example of sustainable design in action.
- Biologically Inspired Design - This curriculum helps students explore how nature can inspire innovative engineering solutions through inquiry‑based lessons that blend science, design, and problem‑solving. Developed by Georgia Tech’s Center for Biologically Inspired Design, these materials foster creativity and connect biological principles to real‑world challenges.
- Student-Centered Computing - This free, standards‑based computer science curricula engages students through project‑based learning that emphasizes voice, choice, and culturally authentic practices. It includes full‑year and semester‑long courses such as Computing Explorations, SCC Foundations, and AP Computer Science Principles. These courses are designed to help students build strong computational thinking and problem‑solving skills. Professional learning opportunities are also available for teachers.
- BIRDEE (Biologically-Inspired Design in Engineering Education) - This research‑based high school engineering curriculum engages students in biologically inspired design through guided inquiry, hands‑on projects, and real‑world problem solving. Developed by Georgia Tech’s Center for Biologically Inspired Design and CEISMC, it helps students build creativity, design thinking, and an understanding of how nature can inspire innovative engineering solutions.
Events
- STEAM Leadership Conference - The annual conference at Georgia Tech provides an inspiring array of experiences to build and engage K12 STEAM education leaders.
- Celebrate STEAM: Atlanta Science Festival Launch at Georgia - To kickoff the annual Atlanta Science Festival, Georgia Tech hosts this event on campus in which attendees can participate in hands-on STEAM activities, watch STEAM demonstrations, connect with student researchers, and discover the exciting advancements happening at Georgia Tech. This free event has something for everyone - robotics, brains, biology, space, art, nanotechnology, paper, computer science, bioengineering, chemical engineering, or systems engineering.
