QuEST: Quantum Education for Students and Teachers | STELAR

QuEST educates secondary school students in quantum science and computing activities while learning about career pathways in quantum technologies. Science teachers are also key stakeholders and attend professional development in quantum science instruction, quantum computing applications, and career pathways. QuEST, a partnership between Stony Brook University and the New York Hall of Science, advances quantum education, physical science literacy, and the diversity of the STEM pipeline through quantum science and quantum computing learning opportunities for precollege students (grades 8-12) and secondary science teachers. Our goal is to work with 800 students and 160 teachers. As of June 2024, we will have worked with 195 students and 70 teachers. We are creating educational processes starting early in the STEM pipeline at the middle and high school level, with an emphasis on the didactic development of age-appropriate understanding of fundamental concepts. The novelty lies in the holistic/vertical integration of conceptual learning, hands-on activities, laboratory immersion, and career awareness, connecting the informal science institution setting to university research.

Pillar 1: Innovative Use of Technologies in Learning and Teaching

The disciplinary focus included the limitations of classical computing, classical and quantum physics principles (diffraction, polarization, wave-particle duality), the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, superposition, quantum thought experiments (Schrödinger’s cat and Wigner’s friend), entanglement and Bell’s inequality, quantum key distribution, and basic quantum computing skills. Students also spent time visiting the laboratory of a quantum experimentalist and learning about QIST academic and career pathways.

Pillar 2: Partnerships for Career and Workforce Preparation.

Quantum physics is not represented in a substantive way in most science curricula and many high school teachers do not have any background in quantum physics, let alone keeping track of academic/industrial developments of quantum technology. To maximize our impact, we focused on teacher education before hosting student activities at Stony Brook and New York Hall of Science. We plan on expanding our community outreach and workforce development efforts to generate excitement for the 2025 International Year of Quantum.

Pillar 3: Strategies for Equity in STEM Education

The broader impacts of this work relate to increased introductory quantum science and computing participation for students from diverse backgrounds who may not have equitable access due to restricted school resources, lack of science course offerings, and limited teacher knowledge about quantum principles and applications. Students and teachers participate in program activities, with 50% of participants recruited from high need schools.