Actively supporting K-12 Education from University Academy Programs

This paper features a model for promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the K-12 education level by developing teaching platforms together with university students. Usually, technical universities develop simulators and technologies as part of academic plans and research projects with students. For instance, in sessions of a university semester project, students often develop technical solutions useful for later use to promote STEM topics. We document experiences at TU Berlin where bachelor students developed a simulator using a drone for measuring CO
2
levels in the atmosphere. The topic was challenging enough to fulfill the research requirements at the university; at the same time, the resulting code provided the material to prepare teaching activities at the K-12 level. Using the publicly accessible code, we also elaborate on lesson plans and activities to apply this specific example at the K-12 level.