to provide ten (10) sixth through twelfth (6-12^th)  grade teachers (RET Research Assistants) the opportunity to work side-by-side with undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty mentors in the exciting enterprise of research;

to provide RET Research Assistants an experience from which they can draw ideas and develop skills that they can then transfer to their own classrooms;

to provide an environment to develop methods to transfer the excitement of research to 6-12th grade students; and

to provide an opportunity to form lasting professional relationships and collaborations between teachers and between teachers and mentors.