QUANTUM ENGINEERING K-12

Elevating Future Generations of Quantum Engineers

QUANTUM ENGINEERING K-12
Elevating Future Generations of Quantum Engineers
Preparing the Next Generation of Quantum Engineers through K-12 Outreach

Quantum technologies are poised to revolutionize industries, from computing and communications to materials science and medicine. However, the field faces a critical challenge—building a robust pipeline of future quantum engineers. To address this need, early outreach efforts targeting students from kindergarten through high school (K-12) are essential in cultivating curiosity, foundational skills, and career pathways in quantum science and engineering. Quantum Engineering faculty and students at the Colorado School of Mines are committed to that end.

Zhexuan Gong has mentored several high school students for summer research via the Qubit by Qubit organization in the past years. The photo below shows Zhexuan with local high school students Robert Davis and Kaitlyn Sanchez from the QxQ Early Quantum Career Immersion Program in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Robert (High School student) is featured on the program’s website at https://www.qubitbyqubit.org/eqci. The research report from Robert and the slides from Kaitlyn and Madison can be obtained by clicking on the images below.

Zhexuan Gong with Robert Davis and Kaitlyn Sanchez
Kaitlyn-and-Madison
Report Robert report
Kaitlyn-Madison slides
Matthew Crane and his students Brandon Reynolds, Sara Russo, Lauren Cisneros, and Brodrick Sevart have created a 5-day lesson plan for a K-12 outreach activity. Two of these experiments are based heavily on procedures found online (Titanium Dioxide Raspberry Solar Cell – MRSEC Education Group – UW–Madison for the raspberry solar cells, Day 4, and How to Make Paper Circuits | STEM Activity for LEDs, also day 4/5).
Day 1
  • What Are Waves?
  • How We See

Day 2

  • Diffraction
  • Interference
  • Double Slit
  • Refraction and Snell’s Law

Day 3

  • What Does Color Mean?
  • DIY Lava Lamp
  • Cellophane Stained Glass
  • Holographic Chocolate
  • Soap Film Interference

Day 4

  • Raspberry Solar Cells
  • Glow-in-the-Dark Paints
  • Luminescence and Black Lights
  • Plasma Ball
  • LEDs

Day 5

  • Light in Space
  • What Are Waves?
  • How We See
  • Telescopes
Meenakshi Singh and her students, along with Carolyn Koh and Reuben Collins’ groups, have done outreach to the Rocky Mountain Camp for Dyslexic Middle School children for many years. The modules that have been created, that teachers at the school or other adults can run as well, are posted on the Mines Repository. Links to quantum-related modules are given below.

  • K. Blagg, P. Allen, J. Briggs, Y. Liu, C. Koh, R. T. Collins, and M. Singh, “Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe: A module developed for hands-on learning”, (2021). 10.17605/OSF.IO/5J2PG
  • K. Blagg, Y. Liu, W. Schenken, B. Moskal, M. Singh, C. Koh, and R. T. Collins, “Patterning by Light: the Engineering of Integrated Circuits”, (2019). 10.25676/11124/173099
  • S. Saiter, A. Faricy, A. Dhungana, P. J. Allen, and M. Singh, “Electrical transport: conductivity and superconductivity: A module developed for hands-on learning”, (2025). 10.25676/11124/179187
Meenakshi Singh and her students, along with Carolyn Koh and Reuben Collins’ groups, have done outreach to the Rocky Mountain Camp for Dyslexic Middle School children for many years. The modules that have been created, that teachers at the school or other adults can run as well, are posted on the Mines Repository. Links to quantum-related modules are given below.

  • K. Blagg, P. Allen, J. Briggs, Y. Liu, C. Koh, R. T. Collins, and M. Singh, “Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe: A module developed for hands-on learning”, (2021). 10.17605/OSF.IO/5J2PG
  • K. Blagg, Y. Liu, W. Schenken, B. Moskal, M. Singh, C. Koh, and R. T. Collins, “Patterning by Light: the Engineering of Integrated Circuits”, (2019). 10.25676/11124/173099
  • S. Saiter, A. Faricy, A. Dhungana, P. J. Allen, and M. Singh, “Electrical transport: conductivity and superconductivity: A module developed for hands-on learning”, (2025). 10.25676/11124/179187
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