It’s no secret that schoolchildren love giveaways and prizes. (Don’t we all?) Our super-hydrophobic cloths are no exception – in fact, they’re usually the most popular part of our Discover Nanotechnology workshops! (We commonly hear feedback like, “My favorite part about the workshop was the super-hydrophobic surfaces!”) Best of all, when students can experience nanotechnology in the palm of their hands, they become fascinated with STEM.

Think about it: imagine spilling a drop of water onto a cotton cloth. What happens next?  We all expect the cotton to soak up the droplet, right? Wrong! A special nanotechnology-enabled coating causes the droplet to simply bead on the surface of the cloth, rather than being absorbed into it. Crazy cool!

But it doesn’t stop there; as one workshop attendee noted, the possibilities are endless: “The best part of today’s workshops was learning how nanotechnology has made surfaces ranging from concrete to paper hydrophobic.”

Our sponsors are making the difference for STEM education! Special thanks to Go Graphics & Printing Co. for printing, UltraTech International for coating, and Hitachi and SoCalGas for sponsoring these fun yet vital “freebies.”

The post New Student Giveaways Have Arrived! first appeared on Omni Nano.

Omni Nano is proud to announce the launch of our second free online course! Now, half a billion new students in the Spanish-speaking world have access to nanotechnology at their fingertips.

“Introducción a la nanotecnología” is the Spanish-language version of our popular MOOC (massive open online course), “Introduction to Nanotechnology.” Learn how you can help save the world with nanotechnology – click here to enroll now!

The post Free Online Class Now Available in Spanish! first appeared on Omni Nano.

Downtown Magnets High School hosted four workshops over two days, introducing a total of 120 students to Nanotechnology. Mr. Lee and Dr. Curreli met through UCLA’s CNSI workshops and were excited to share Omni Nano’s Introduction to Nanotechnology Workshop with Magnets. Students were amazed to learn about the intricacies of nanotechnology’s use in invisibility spheres. Science fiction is becoming science fact, due to advances in nanotechnology.

Omni Nano is grateful for the support of our sponsor, Southern California Edison for making these workshops possible.

The post Downtown Magnets High School Students Mesmerized first appeared on Omni Nano.

Omni Nano is thrilled to announce that we have launched our first free online class! “Introduction to Nanotechnology” is a short, self-paced course introducing the fundamentals of nanotechnology, including how it works, what its applications are, and how to continue your journey from nanotechnology education to professional career. This MOOC (massive open online course) is hosted on the Canvas network and is geared toward high school students, but participants of all ages are welcome to join and to learn.

Learn how you can help save the world with nanotechnology – click here to enroll now!

We look forward to “seeing” you in class soon!

The post Free Online “Introduction to Nanotechnology” Class Available Now! first appeared on Omni Nano.

Children at birth are natural scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers. Recent research has recommended that every effort should be made to engage students in STEM education as soon as they enter elementary school. Studies have identified the elementary years as the period when students form their interests in STEM identities and careers, earlier than many people probably believe to be the case.

Omni Nano recently presented our Discover Nanotechnology workshop at Rosewood Avenue Elementary School, furthering our mission to bring nanotechnology education to students of all ages. We believe the sooner we share the exciting advances that nanotechnology offers, the greater the impact we will have on the future.

The post Elementary of Nanotech first appeared on Omni Nano.

With sponsorship provided by Northrop Grumman, 280 students at Bright Star Charter Academy and San Pedro High School were inspired by Omni Nano’s Discover Nanotechnology workshops. One of the highlights of the workshops were the super-hydrophobic cloths that students could win by answering questions correctly. The video above shows one of these student winners experiencing nanotechnology at his fingertips for the first time. So cool!

The post Northrop Grumman Helps Inspire 280 Students first appeared on Omni Nano.

Thanks to sponsorship from the Hitachi Southern California Regional Community Action Committee, Omni Nano was able to expose another 250 students to the exciting science of nanotechnology. Due to high demand, all of these sponsored workshops were presented at El Segundo High School in El Segundo, CA.

This was our first grant form Hitachi and we certainly hope that this collaboration continues. As a high-tech international conglomerate, Hitachi understands the importance of investing in STEM education. And we at Omni Nano are always looking for ways to inspire more students in our communities to pursue STEM!

The post Thank You, Hitachi! first appeared on Omni Nano.

On November 18th, CNSI High School Nanoscience Workshop focused on Nanoscale Control of Wetting. Participants engaged in the use of superhydrophobic materials, both in their natural and man made states.

Hands-on experiments were taught and explained step-by-step, so teachers can recreate activities in their classroom. Teachers were given materials and supplies to take with them to perform the experiments and teach the topic to their students.

Omni Nano uses superhydrophobic materials in our Discover Nanotechnology workshops; the use of these materials engage students in understanding a practical application of nanotechnology.

The post CNSI Workshop: Nanoscale Control of Wetting first appeared on Omni Nano.

Omni Nano is honored to have the continued support of SoCalGas. Their sponsorship allows Omni Nano to present 10 Discover Nanotechnology workshops in high schools within the San Fernando Valley.

“We expect to inspire at least 600 students who have probably never heard of nanotechnology. These workshops are an effective tool to help students understand STEM opportunities at the university level and beyond. Nanotechnology has so many applications that provide safer, cleaner alternatives to the workplace and our environment. It’s so exciting when kids realize this! SoCalGas is truly fostering future relationships through this partnership, some of these students may become the next generation of chemical engineers.” Dr. Marco Curreli stated.

The post SoCalGas Sponsors More Discover Nanotechnology Workshops first appeared on Omni Nano.

Omni Nano is thankful to be a part of the NanoBCA community – and we are especially grateful for the fellow members who helped support nanotechnology education by making a donation toward our recent challenge/matching grant. The partnership you share with Omni Nano in bringing nanotechnology education into more schools, allows our community to make a greater impact in the world, now and in the future.

Thank you to the many leaders in the NanoBCA community who played a critical role in our success with this grant!

UltraTech International
Nanotronics
Nano-C
Bergeson & Campbell
NanoBCA
OCSiAl
Pixelligent
P-Brane
Frith & Associates

Thank you!

The post Thank you NanoBCA members for supporting Education first appeared on Omni Nano.