The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) are actively engaged in educating, growing and sustaining a qualified workforce for the advancement of Quantum Information Science and Technology.
NSF, in close coordination with OSTP, initiated and funded a virtual workshop hosted by the Harvard University, Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) in March 2020. Entitled “Key Concepts for Future Quantum Information Science Learners,” the workshop was designed to identify essential concepts for future curricular and educator activities that will help K-12 students engage with quantum information science (QIS).
The workshop resulted in a list of key concepts for future quantum information science (QIS) learners. The document provides a concise list of nine basic concepts, including quantum entanglement, communication, and sensing. As the authors write: “The Key Concepts are not intended to be an introductory guide to quantum information science, but rather provide a framework for future expansion and adaptation for students at different levels in computer science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses.” The stakeholder community is able to provide input via the contact and feedback form.
The document was the product of over three weeks of intensive deliberations among a group of university and industry researchers, secondary school and college educators, and representatives from educational and professional organizations. The participants represented a set of convergent disciplines that contribute to QIS today: physics, computer sciences, materials sciences, engineering, chemistry, and mathematics. Document development efforts were led by experts from the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST), the University of Chicago, Georgetown University and the Museum of Science, Boston.
Read more at the National Science Foundation.