About the program

A high school teacher explaining a science experiment

Science Overdrive is a non-profit organization with the goal of inciting a passion for science by sharing our own. We provide an environment for collaboration between secondary, middle, and elementary science teachers. Teachers who know more teach with increased confidence. Teachers who are more confident teach with greater excitement. Excitement in the classroom is highly contagious. Students excited about science retain more science concepts, are more curious about the world around them, and become scientists. Our work goes a little something like this:

  1. We recruit passionate, knowledgeable secondary school teachers
  2. We host a series of workshops designed for K-8 science teachers
  3. We provide equipment, classroom activities, presentation materials, content knowledge and a support network
  4. K-8 teachers use their expertise to deliver science-based classroom activities at an appropriate level for their students
  5. The result: An excitement for science and resulting increase in science scores and a greater number of home-grown scientists in the U.S.

A little history

A woman performing an experiment with a green balloon

Science Overdrive was developed from a successful program based at Hampton University called Physics is Elementary (PIE). This was the outreach component of the Center for the Study of the Origin and Structure of Matter (COSM), a National Science Foundation Physics Frontier Center in particle and nuclear physics. PIE focused on fourth and fifth grade Virginia Standards of Learning, presenting fourth and fifth grade science teachers with SOL-related physics content and providing equipment for hands on activities to be used in their classroom. High School teachers presented a series of five to six lessons (ex. 'Sound', 'Light') during three-hour-long Saturday workshops for 15-25 elementary school teachers. Participants' increase in content knowledge was significant, evidenced by pre- and post-tests. Participating teachers earned points towards recertification and a small amount of remuneration for their time.

Moving forward

2 teachers cutting a PVC pipe

In 2009, PIE was restructured & rebuilt as Science Overdrive. The scope of Science Overdrive expands on the PIE model, and now includes:

We hope to gain the support of local universities, PTAs, and professional science-oriented communities. We also will recruit and enlist the secondary teachers of the feeder school(s) for the elementary and middle schools served. Although universal in our offerings, we will specifically target rural and urban schools.