Professional development: An innovative Professional Development Center was physically located at one school, but involved a cluster of schools, both primary and secondary, which worked with a partner university to deliver the professional development needs of teachers. A core activity of this project involved leading edge research scientists and science educators who provided intensive two-day workshops on contemporary science topics (e.g., polymer science, cancer biology and radiation physics). The philosophy stated by the center coordinator was based on the idea that teachers should engage in the activities to enhance familiarity and understanding of the concepts.