Envisioning the Future

IMAGINATION

and

INNOVATION

On March 10, 2022, William Rowen School dedicated a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) laboratory focused on training the next generation of students in quantum information science.

A fifth-grade Rowen student presents his science project.

Through our partnership with the Quantum Biology Laboratory (QBL) at Howard University, Rowen students learn about the mysteries of the quantum world: wave-particle duality; subatomic particles including electrons and quarks; the double-slit experiment; Schrödinger’s cat; quantum entanglement; and more.

Quantum information science is one of the 10 priority areas promoted by the National Science Foundation that will revolutionize life, work, and thought in the years to come. As a strategy for creating a quantum-smart workforce, the National Strategic Overview calls for quantum science education at an early stage, including elementary schools.

Howard University physicists in the QBL serve as expert consultants to support the development of learning materials aligned with quantum information science objectives. These materials consist of digital tools, exploratory environments, and laboratory experiments that provide Rowen educators and students with robust opportunities to maximize deep, accessible, and interactive learning.

Dr. Philip Kurian, principal investigator and founding director of the QBL, remarks, “Howard University’s support of the quantum sciences and the Quantum Biology Lab has been a catalyst for this transformative impact on our K-12 students. We eagerly await the harvest to come from our young colleagues at William Rowen.”

 

Rowen students use virtual reality to explore atoms, subatomic particles, and the Periodic Table of Elements

Our QSL lab includes 3D printers, 3D scanners, virtual reality systems, a green room to create virtual reality experiences, robotics, and science learning spaces to explore quantum concepts.

William Rowen Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Quantum Biology Laboratory (QBL) at Howard University have collaborated to establish a first-of-its-kind STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) lab focused on training the next generation of students in quantum information science. The lab's dedication ceremony took place on March 10, 2022 at 10 AM.