Programs for STEM Teachers

The Summer Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Program

Program dates:  June 22 – August 3, 2026

CEMB supports ACT 48 accredited, summer professional development for middle and high school science teachers that encompasses the interdisciplinary and broad themes of mechanobiology.
RET scholars can expect to:
  1. Participate in a mechanobiology research project during the summer in an active UPenn lab.
  2. Develop or adapt a lesson plan with a hands-on activity to use in the following academic year that can introduce students to mechanobiology and real-world research.
We seek middle and high school science teachers to work collaboratively during the summer as well as during the school year; however, participation in school year workshops is completely optional. Pairs of teachers working as teams are especially encouraged to apply. This program is open to middle and high school teachers of biology, physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science and math from schools in the Philadelphia region. Participants must commit to a 6-week summer program and agree to develop and work towards integrating mechanobiology into their teaching practice during the academic year.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER 2026!

Application Deadline:
April 1, 2026

New Cohort Begins:
June 22, 2026

Download our (2025) Program Brochure

Contact us for additional information and to inquire about details regarding the next cohort of teachers.

Sample 2025 Program Details:

Week 1: In this first week teachers meet 9am-3pm, in-person Monday – Friday. Goals of this week include to learn/refresh foundational knowledge in mechanobiology, practice lab skills and develop a research plan/schedule with lab mentors.

Weeks 2-6 (July 4 observed): Teachers will work with mentors to conduct research in the labs, Monday – Thursday. Individual schedules are worked out with research mentors and, in general, can include a mix of virtual and in-person work for participants. However, participants should plan to be in-person as much as possible. Every Friday, the education team (including teachers) meets from 9am-2pm as a working group to make progress towards program goals (e.g., designing/redesigning a lesson plan with a mechanobio focus).

August 5: Final presentations of lesson plans and research experience to CEMB members and other summer RETs at UPenn (i.e., IoT4Ag).

Academic Year Participation: We are committed to supporting you throughout the school year. Participants can expect 2-3 Saturday morning workshops (one in fall, winter, and spring). Additional incentives may be available beyond the summer stipend of $6000 for those that continue to work towards program goals during the busy school year, including implementation of yours or other’s mechanobiology curriculum in some capacity with your students. We encourage continued collaboration with the ulitmate goal of publishing lessons and their impacts on student learning in peer-reviewed outlets.

Attend the Annual Symposium to learn about more mechanobiology research.