While this network is intended to be a resource for sustainable subject matter content, it is also anticipated that successful participants will use the network to collaborate on teaching and learning projects. Participation in the CSM National Science Academy is limited and selective. National Science Academy Summer Programs will be scheduled for two weeks. A combination of fieldwork, interactive lectures and hands on labs will be used to present the content. A rich treasure of unique geological features surrounds the Colorado School of Mines, an ideal and natural laboratory in which participants will learn from CSM faculty how the earth's systems interrelate.
Time spent in the field provides a strong foundation for a more interactive classroom experience.
On a typical day you will leave the campus following breakfast and spend time at one of the nearby geological sites until mid afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon will be spent in a traditional classroom or lab setting, amplifying what was presented during the field experience. In addition there will be several special evening programs and one weekend field trip. While the NSA Summer Program is academically rigorous, participants who are committed to focusing their time on the program should have no difficulty in successfully completing it. Those who complete the program will receive 5 semester hours of graduate level recertification credit as well as a Colorado School of Mines National Science Academy Certificate of Completion.