Education Outreach

Educational outreach is an important part of the Fellowship experience for each Ryan Fellow. Every year, the Ryan Fellows give back to the academic community through volunteer work of their choice. The IIN provides a number of annual, educational outreach opportunities, such as STEM & Sports Day.  Utilizing kits provided by the National Informal STEM Education Network, a team of 4-6 Ryan Fellows engage visitors with a "What is Nano?" presentation and hands-on activities explaining various elements of nanotechnology. These highly interactive experiments range from exploring nanofabrication with gummy capsules to exploring thin films and hydrogels. Often Fellows seek out additional opportunities offered by other organizations, like tutoring a high school student or participating in the National Maker Faire.