A team of five talented CCAC graduate students – Amanda Bellafatto, Wayne Yeo, Pandora Picariello, Shannon Rogers, and Sierra Astle – took their passion for materials science on the road. They volunteered to represent the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF) at the prestigious 2024 National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference in Denver, Colorado from March 20th to 23rd.
At the conference, these ambassadors for ceramic and glass materials interacted with hundreds of K-12 science teachers from across the nation. Through hands-on demonstrations and engaging activities, they shared their knowledge and sparked curiosity about the vast world of ceramics and glass.
Their efforts played a vital role in supporting ACerS’ and CGIF’s mission to promote materials science education and inspire the next generation of innovators in the field. Teachers walked away with new classroom resources, ideas for experiments, and a renewed enthusiasm for teaching these critical topics.
The volunteering experience was incredibly rewarding for the CCAC students as well. “Seeing the light bulbs go off when a teacher grasped a new concept was so fulfilling,” shared Amanda Bellafatto. “I can’t wait to pay it forward by bringing that same spark to my own students someday.”
To read more about the team’s impactful work and the innovative ceramic/glass demonstrations they led, click here.