Summer Research Programs: The MRSEC offers Summer research opportunities that extend its impact beyond the UMN, providing high school teachers, college faculty, and undergraduates with research opportunities that augment their traditional curriculum and increase their understanding of materials science and engineering (MS&E). UMN MRSEC summer research opportunities include Four-year College Faculty-Student Team Fellowships, Native American Undergraduate Fellowships, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs. Participants perform research in a UMN MRSEC research group from the Engineered Multiblock Polymers, Organic Optoelectronic Interfaces, Magnetic Heterostructures, and Nanoparticle-based Materials IRGs, or one of the various MRSEC Seed groups.

K-12 Outreach: The MRSEC actively engages in outreach efforts with the K-12 community. In addition to sponsorship of the Physics Force and Energy and U, and ongoing collaborations with ECEPS and the Science Museum of Minnesota, MRSEC researchers frequently host visits by local schools and events for local and national student groups.

Exploring Careers in Materials Science & Engineering: The MRSEC partners with the IT Center for Education Programs (ITCEP), www.it.umn.edu/outreach/eceps, to provide a week-long program on Exploring Careers in Materials Science and Engineering. The program (June 21-25, 2010) is part of the month-long summer camp, Exploring Careers in Engineering and Physical Sciences and includes one day of activities planned by each of the four IRGs as well as Seed faculty. The weeklong program is an extension of, "Polymer Day: You Make it, You Break it", presented by IRG-1 faculty in 2007 and 2008.

Science Museum of Minnesota: MRSEC faculty and graduate students take advantage of proximity to the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM), http://www.smm.org, and regularly help develop exhibits, deliver lectures, and present demonstrations. This collaboration with the SMM extends to the NSF-sponsored Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) of multiple science museums and research institutions, whose goal is to work with groups such as the UMN MRSEC to develop and distribute innovative approaches to engaging Americans in nanoscale science and engineering education, research, and technology.