LAAAMP and Elettra Teachers Workshop

Jun 15, 2026, 9:00 AM → Jun 19, 2026, 5:30 PM Europe/Rome

online

LAAAMP and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste are jointly organizing an international virtual professional development workshop for high-school teachers.

The workshop is designed for teachers of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and General Science, and will be conducted entirely in English. Its aim is to strengthen the connection between school science curricula and inquiry-based learning by introducing educators to synchrotron research and large-scale scientific infrastructures.

Using Elettra as a real-world example, the program will demonstrate how advanced research facilities operate and how fundamental scientific principles taught in classrooms are applied in cutting-edge experiments.

Participants will be introduced to:

• the fundamentals of synchrotron science and large-scale research infrastructures;
• key machine components and how they enable advanced experiments;
• real research applications in materials science, health, and technology;
• inquiry-based teaching approaches connected to modern STEM research;
• indigenous and global perspectives in science education;
• a virtual tour of the Elettra facility;
• demonstrations of data collection and how research data can be translated into classroom activities.

By connecting teachers directly with scientists and research environments, the workshop aims to provide practical tools, fresh perspectives, and inspiring examples that help students understand how classroom science links to real-world discovery and innovation.

Mon, June 15

1 Introduction

Speaker: Dr Özgül Öztürk

2 Synchrotron science

Speaker: Dr Giorgio Paolucci

4:15 PM Break

3 Synchrotrons and secondary education

This session will provide participants with examples of how synchrotrons and the stories of research conducted provide an excellent context for curricular concepts often discussed in science classrooms. The Canadian Light Source synchrotron has been engaging with secondary teachers and their students in various ways and will be the focus of the case studies.

Speaker: Dr Tracy Walker

Tue, June 16

4 Question & Answer

5 European Research Projects and Networks

European funding is a career boost for both individuals and groups. The lecture will guide you through large European projects and networks presenting current opportunities for training, transnational Access and enlarging your scientific collaborations.

Speaker: Dr Cecilia Blasetti

4:15 PM Break

6 Multiscale Infrared Spectroscopy for Life and Environmental Sciences

Synchrotron infrared spectroscopy is a powerful, label-free technique that provides chemical information from the microscale to the nanoscale, making it especially valuable for life sciences, environmental science, and biomineralization research. At SISSI-Bio, advanced FTIR, microspectroscopy, and nanospectroscopy workflows enable multiscale studies of living cells, microorganisms, biominerals, and environmental samples, including investigations of pollution, carbon cycling, and biomineral formation. This presentation will show how synchrotron-based infrared methods can be combined with correlative and multivariate analysis approaches to extract meaningful information from complex datasets. It will also highlight the use of open-source data analysis tools such as Quasar, for user-friendly analysis of hyperspectral and spectromicroscopy data.

Speaker: Dr Giovanni Birarda

Wed, June 17

7 Question & Answer

8 Micro/Nano fabrication for curious people

The talk will be about the beginnings of microfabrication, about the most common micro/nanofabrication techniques, and finally about deep X-ray lithography with synchrotron radiation. It will also include some tips on how to make simple microfabrication experiments.

Speaker: Dr Benedetta Marmiroli

4:15 PM Break

9 Exploring materials with X-ray and electron microscopies

This lecture will introduce how X-ray and low-energy electron microscopy can be used to investigate the surface structure, chemical composition, and electronic properties of materials. With a particular focus on SPELEEM microscopy at the Nanospectroscopy beamline of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the talk will present how different measurement modes provide complementary information on materials and surfaces. Using examples from real experiments, I will show how these techniques allow us to make hidden features visible, compare different regions of a sample, and connect what we observe in an image with the underlying properties of the material. The lecture will give participants an inside view of how scientists explore materials in practice and how fundamental concepts from physics and chemistry are transformed into practical tools for investigating real-world materials.

Speaker: Dr Iulia Cojocariu

Thu, June 18

10 Question & Answer

11 Mathematics as a Bridge in Synchrotron Science

Synchrotrons are exotic and deeply multidisciplinary environments, where physics, engineering, computing, data science, and experimental methods constantly meet. In this context, mathematics can act both as a practical tool and as a forma mentis: a way of structuring problems, building common languages, and moving across disciplines. This short talk will reflect on one possible path among many: from theoretical mathematics to applied computing, from algorithms for data analysis to real beamtime experiments in X-ray imaging and spectromicroscopy, and onward to AI and quantum computing. The central idea is that mathematics alone is not enough: lifelong learning is a necessity. But mathematics often provides the first bridge, helping us enter new fields, understand their challenges, and contribute meaningfully to interdisciplinary research at accelerator facilities.

Speaker: Dr Georgios Kourousias

4:15 PM Break

12 Virtual tour of Elettra

Speaker: Dr Tevfik Onur Menteş

Fri, June 19

13 Question & Answer

14 Chasing Light: Integrating Beamline Science in high School Classroom to foster research oriented learning; experiences, challenges and insights

The talk explores how participation in a virtual beamline research project immersed all girl’s high school students group from Islamabad in authentic scientific inquiry through the investigation of materials used in skin products and their societal relevance. Aligned with beamline research, the project extended beyond material analysis to the design and execution of a social science survey, enabling students to connect scientific investigation with real world usage patterns and public awareness.
The talk will also outline the journey from developing a research proposal to conducting a research, data interpretation and presenting scientific results, while reflecting on the challenges, insights and development of the key 21st century skills including critical thinking, collaboration, scientific communication, and research oriented learning.

Speaker: Dr Mirwat Shamshad

4:15 PM Break

15 Energy related materials and battery research at synchrotrons

Climate change and geopolitical instability have accelerated the global transition from carbon-based energy to clean, sustainable sources. While significant progress has been made in improving the efficiency of converting natural energy into electricity, the intermittent nature of sources such as wind and solar has placed energy storage at the forefront of current scientific research. Synchrotron radiation provides a powerful suite of techniques to investigate the atomic and molecular properties of novel energy storage materials for next-generation batteries. This lecture provides a general overview of the field and presents practical examples of research conducted using synchrotron sources to advance the development of efficient energy storage technologies.

Speaker: Dr Jasper Plaisier