AVS is a not-for-profit professional society that promotes communication between academia, government laboratories, and industry for the purpose of sharing research and development findings over a broad range of technologically relevant topics.

AVS promotes communication, dissemination of knowledge, recommended practices, research, and education in a broad range of technologically relevant topics. The Society conducts various local and national educational programs for engineers, scientists and technicians and supports numerous outreach activities aimed at teacher enhancement and student science awareness and education. Though these various outreach programs, AVS is able to share the collective individual expertise of its members with practicing professionals, students, schools, and science teachers. The various programs supported by AVS are summarized below. AVS members and non-members alike are warmly invited to participate.

AVS short courses provide training for technicians, scientists, and engineers in three broad categories: Vacuum and Equipment Technology; Materials and Interface Characterization; and Materials Processing. Courses are scheduled regionally throughout the year or can be customized and taught onsite at your facility.

The AVS Science Educators’ Workshop is a fully CEU accredited 2-day workshop on low-pressure experiments for middle and high school science teachers. Many local AVS chapters will sponsor teachers with all expenses paid, including reimbursement for a substitute teacher.

AVS is also pleased to solicit nominations for the John Vossen Memorial Award for middle or high school educators to recognize and encourage science demonstration experiments. The award includes an equipment grant and travel to the AVS International Symposium and Equipment Exhibition.

As part of its professional education focus, AVS develops, publishes, and distributes a wide range of technical monographs, books, videos, and DVDs. You are welcome to peruse our online catalog of educational products.

As a member society of the American Institute of Physics, AVS is pleased to support a range of education and outreach programs developed and implemented by AIP. AIP education and outreach programs include a wide range of news media relations aimed at raising public awareness of science. Examples include

• Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science— 90-second, broadcast-ready science news reports
• Inside Science News Service— Up-to-the-minute news reports and links on current science developments affecting everyday life.
• AIP Science Writing Awards— science writing awards for physics and astronomy

AIP also provides a range of services aimed at the professional, including

• Physics News Update—an electronic bulletin of current physics news
• Physics News Links—an online archive of physics-related links
• FYI and FYI This Month—summaries of policy and budget developments in Washington