The University of Maryland QuarkNet Science Education Center is part of a consortium of universities, high schools, and research facilities known as QuarkNet. This program introduces teachers and students to modern research in the field of particle physics. QuarkNet is spearheaded by the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Each year, QuarkNet opens between 8 to 12 new education centers at universities or research facilities nationwide. Each education center has 2 lead teachers picked from local high schools. During the first year of these lead teachers have a paid 8 week summer appointment working with mentor-physicist(s) at their education center to gain a better understanding of the concepts and research involved. The lead teachers take the knowledge and experience that they gained from the research appointment and incorporate it into their curriculum.

The teachers and their mentors also work together to plan an Associate Teacher Institute (ATI) for the following summer.
Up to 10 local teachers are accepted to participate in this 2 or 3 week program. The ATI is comprised of various lectures, demonstrations, experiments, and tours to educate the teachers and help them find the resources necessary to transfer what they have learned into the classroom. During the third and subsequent years, there are one week workshops, where the teachers and mentor-physicists can get together and discuss ideas or lessons that help them in their classrooms.