TIVERTON — Tiverton High School teachers Lee Cusumano and Shanthi Genga will each receive $20,000 worth of chemistry equipment, supplies and training from the East Bay Educational Collaborative (EBEC) on October 28-29.

The program, A Natural Approach to Chemistry, is funded through a US Office of Naval Research (ONR) Physics 360o grant to EBEC. EBEC selected Tiverton High School as one of ten recipients out of over 40 high school applicants.

A Natural Approach to Chemistry program includes six portable lab stations, Probeware and software to create and analyze graphs produced by the students, chemicals, laboratory manuals, e-texts, textbooks, virtual experiments, simulations, and activities.  Bothteachers will receive the entire package plus two days of extensive professional development at EBEC.

Physics 360o is a three-year program spearheaded by Ronald Khan, EBEC’s ONR project director, to address gaps in the US STEM talent pool.  EBEC and East Bay chemistry teachers developed A Natural Approach to Chemistry that was then published, improved, and supported by Lab-Aids, Inc. and used around the USA. Physics 360o, ,, now in its second year, builds upon a prior, successful EBEC / ONR-funded Essential Physics' curriculum “Improving the STEM Pipeline”. 

The aim to help build and sustain a world-leading science and engineering workforce.  They do so by engaging students in real-life laboratory experiments using contemporary green technology and understandable instruction.  

Within the next few weeks, EBEC will be accepting high school applications for more STEM resources.  These include a Navy-themed “World of Waves” and online platform by JASON Learning, presentations on “Twilight” and Salt Marshes, and Lab Aids workshops.