IBM Quantum Educator Summit
August 3-4, 2021
For high school teachers or undergraduate professors
Apply here
Quantum computing has grown beyond the realm of advanced graduate school courses — today, high school and undergraduate educators are incorporating quantum concepts into curricula across disciplines. That's why the IBM Quantum team is thrilled to announce the IBM Quantum Educator Summit, a two-day digital conference aimed at high school and undergraduate educators who want to learn how to start building quantum computing components into their courses.
The IBM Quantum Educator Summit will be a first-of-its-kind experiment in empowering educators to prepare their students for a future with quantum computing. This conference is for undergraduate professors and high school teachers in any discipline who are eager to fit quantum computing into their classes. The summit will center around the math, science, and computer science central to quantum computing, while enrichment sessions will explore other focus areas. The summit will take place August 3-4, 2021.
Quantum for students everywhere
The education team at IBM Quantum has produced hundreds of hours of content, through our Qiskit Textbook and YouTube channel, meant to teach quantum computing to anyone. The Educator Summit, however, is about more than just content; it focuses instead on how teachers can include quantum computing in their own curricula. The Educator Summit will answer questions like:
- How can I teach my students about quantum algorithms using Qiskit?
- What kinds of learning materials are available for physics students, computer science students, or engineering students?
- Are there hands-on resources I can use in my courses?
Additionally, educators from around the United States who have long taught quantum computing in their classrooms to share their successes. Attendees will see how students at New York University built a pedagogically friendly model of a physical qubit using off-the-shelf materials; see how the American Association of Physics Teachers prepares teachers with no quantum computing background; and see the work that's gone into successful lesson plans in multiple classrooms.
Attendees will receive training from IBM Researchers on quantum programming tools such as the IBM Quantum Composer and open-source Qiskit software development kit, hear directly from educators who have already taught quantum computing in their classrooms, receive new curriculum packs and training, explore tools to teach quantum computing in an array of fields, and network with like-minded attendees. We aim to prepare all participants to be able to integrate at least one quantum computing concept into their class, be it through a one-day lesson or a two-week unit, during this upcoming school year.
This conference will be North America-focused, but open globally. Registration is open now, click here to join.
Training the future quantum workforce
IBM Quantum is proud to support students and teachers at every level of education. Initiatives like the Researchers and Educators Programs allow post-graduates and their professors to gain unique access to our systems and do cutting edge research with IBM processors. We continue to work with undergraduate students through University Hackathons and workshops, where in just the past six months we have reached more than 15,000 students around the globe, teaching them how to use Qiskit and run their first circuits. Public schools like the Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, CA, find creative ways to engage their students, planning virtual field trips with IBM researchers that allow their students to tour our labs and experience a day in the life of an engineer.
We continue to work with undergraduate students through University hackathons and workshops, where in just the past six months we have reached more than 3,500 students around the globe, teaching them how to use Qiskit and run their first circuits.
As an organization we're also proud to support other groups that are democratizing quantum computing education. Through our partnership with The Coding School, we were able to teach over 8,000 high school students the fundamentals of quantum physics and computing.
Our desire to highlight student work, and empowering students to excel even further, has brought plenty of other projects to life that will further broaden the potential for teaching quantum, such as the free textbook, “Quantum Computing for the Quantum Curious,” Ciaran Hughes, Joshua Isaacson, Anastasia Perry, Ranbel Sun, and Jessica Turner. A few of those authors will be speaking at the Summit!
Ultimately, the IBM Quantum team hopes to maximize access to quantum education. By teaching students from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds, we can help build a vibrant and diverse quantum computing workforce of tomorrow. We hope you'll join along in that mission by attending the IBM Quantum Educator Summit.
