PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – What if one of tomorrow’s fastest-growing technologies could be introduced with spinning tops, flashlights, and hands-on activities?

That was the idea behind QuanTime: Quantum Science Workshop for K-12 Educators, in which Prairie View A&M University partnered with Sandia National Laboratories’ START HBCU Program, Quantum Systems Accelerator, and the National Q-12 Education Partnership to help educators explore one of science’s most rapidly emerging fields.

Hosted by the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering and the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education, the workshop brought together educators from school districts across Texas, including Hempstead ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Alvin ISD, Aldine ISD, Fort Bend ISD and Friends for Life Public Charter School. It was a day of interactive learning designed to make quantum science approachable and classroom ready.

“The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education is pleased to partner with the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering in providing K-12 educators with relevant and rigorous STEM professional development,” said Dr. RoSusan Bartee, dean of the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education. “Our collaborative partnership reflects the importance of advancing interdisciplinary work to enhance overall teaching and learning outcomes.”

Quantum science is becoming increasingly important because it has the potential to transform how people compute, communicate, measure, sense, and protect information. The United States has identified quantum information science and technology as a national priority for research, workforce development, and economic competitiveness, creating a growing need to introduce students to the field at an earlier age.

While quantum science often sounds like something reserved for research laboratories or college physics courses, workshop organizers wanted to show that foundational concepts can be introduced to students through engaging activities that spark curiosity and critical thinking.

“This marks the first collaboration between the College of Engineering and the College of Education to provide professional development for K-12 educators in quantum science,” said Dr. Pamela Holland Obiomon, dean of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering. “By working together, we can ensure that quantum science is not only technically accurate but also accessible, engaging, and relevant to K-12 students.”

Throughout the workshop, educators learned directly from Drs. Alex Belianinov and Mi’Kayla Word, scientists with Sandia National Laboratories, while exploring concepts such as the differences between classical and quantum computing, bits versus qubits, superposition, and quantum transitions.

Rather than relying on lectures alone, participants experienced these ideas through activities including Binary Bracelets, Superposition Tops, the “Taste of Quantum” activity, Quantum Transition Flashlights, and a Polarization Activity. Each exercise demonstrated practical ways teachers can introduce complex scientific concepts in age-appropriate ways.

The learning didn’t end with the workshop.

Participants immediately applied what they had learned by working alongside Sandia scientists to lead many of the same hands-on activities for incoming PVAMU Summer Bridge students.

According to program coordinator Shonda Crews, the “learn by doing, then teach” approach allowed educators to reinforce their understanding while building confidence in presenting quantum concepts to students.

“The feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive,” Crews said. “Many educators shared that they initially viewed quantum science as a subject that would be difficult to understand or teach, but they left feeling empowered and excited to incorporate these activities into their classrooms.”

Crews said watching participants quickly transition from learners to instructors demonstrated that quantum science can be introduced in ways that are engaging and approachable for students of different ages.

The workshop also reflects a broader effort to prepare both educators and students for careers in emerging STEM fields.

Through partnerships with Sandia National Laboratories’ START HBCU Program, Quantum Systems Accelerator, and the National Q-12 Education Partnership, PVAMU is helping expand access to quantum education while equipping teachers with classroom-ready resources, hands-on learning experiences and connections to leading scientists. For Dr. Obiomon, that investment begins with teachers.

“We should begin introducing these concepts now because the students in today’s elementary, middle, and high school classrooms will become scientists, engineers, technicians, teachers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who shape the quantum workforce,” Obiomon said. “Early exposure helps students see quantum science as a field they can understand and enter, rather than something reserved for a small group of specialists.”

By equipping educators with new knowledge and classroom-ready resources, organizers hope the impact will extend far beyond a single workshop, giving each participating teacher the opportunity to introduce hundreds of students to a field expected to influence computing, communications, cybersecurity, medicine, energy and other industries in the years ahead.