Quantum education for high-school students and teachers

Helping students understand and appreciate the potential of quantum information science (QIS) in late high-school, as they make decisions about their college and university career, is an essential part of building the quantum workforce. While many resources exist for keen students to discover QIS, many more students are never exposed to the field or given opportunities to explore their interests. To provide more equitable access to introductory QIS education, it is important to involve not just academics and industry, but also high-school educators who can reach students widely and more efficiently.

In this talk, we will outline the quantum education efforts from the Institute for Quantum Computing, specifically a two-week enrichment workshop for high-achieving students and a professional development workshop for high-school physics teachers, which have been run for 14 and 7 years, respectively. We will discuss how learning objectives and presentation methods differ between the two audiences, how to connect quantum information concepts to elements present in the physics curriculum, and how these programs have been run virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also share participant feedback, highlighting which activities and lessons resonate most with each audience.