Greg Vogt demonstrates Newton’s second law of motion by igniting vaporized ethanol to show how thrust is generated for rocket launches.

Students may still be on vacation, but more than 450 teachers from the Houston Independent School District went back to the classroom this summer for an intensive training program organized by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Education Outreach.

The Baylor Summer Science Institute is geared toward teachers who may not have a strong science background. The program included presentations by scientists and inquiry-based lessons featuring content specific to teachers’ grade levels, with a focus on the nature of science and physical science. Each participant also received teaching resources to take back to their campuses and earned professional development credit.

“The program enables elementary teachers to learn science content in a hands-on lab setting, and engage with scientists and other science professionals” said Barbara Tharp, assistant professor with the Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor.

One highlight of this year’s event was a presentation given by KPRC2’s Chief Meteorologist Frank Billingsley, who discussed hurricanes and other extreme weather phenomenon, as well as the educational path children who wish to become meteorologists must take.