Graduate Student Outreach at Fermilab

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Graduate Student Outreach at Fermilab

• Brian Connolly
• FSU
• May 21, 2002

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Background

• Working with the Lederman Science Center for the
  past 3 years helping graduate students to become
  involved in outreach activities
• Doing it because it is FUUN.

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Outreach Opportunities

• Many levels of outreach
• Talk to school groups at Fermilab (little as 15
  minutes)
• Special requests
• Cryoshows (all ages)
• EM (4th grade)
• Teacher mentor
• Invite random people for tours
• Gotten other graduate students involved
• The lab is a museum (makes things easy)

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Lederman Science Center

• Susan Dahl, Marge Bardeen
• Have contacts with schools, teachers, students,
  public
• Have resources for preparing demonstrations
• Getting in touch with other people who do this

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Philosophy

• Given the choice of gee-whiz demos and
  education, choose education (not a magic show)
• Most of the time, they can be combined
• Attract scientists or teach them about science

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Rewards

• Massive appreciation
• Kids ask you for autographs
• Free school t-shirts
• Entertaining thank you letters
• Youll learn a lot
• It is a great time!
• Jobs

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Levels of Involvement
Drive 50 miles to school for 3 hours of
demonstrations
15 minute Q A session at the lab
20 graduate students at various levels of
involvement (havent had recruitment meeting in
the past year)
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Getting Started

• Sign up for existing programs
• Science Center helpful if you wish to do
  something independently!
• When you are a scientist, people are interested
  in what you do

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If You Choose to do Something Independently

• (Advanced) High School easiest
• Download slides from web (unbelievable number of
  science web pages if you see a nice
  presentation, as the person for his/her slides)
• Younger kids
• You need to be more enthusiastic (although kids
  are more fascinated with everything)
• More explosions, more preparation nicer to plug
  into an existing program
• Grow up fast (e.g., 4th grade EM)

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Teacher Mentor

• Speak in their class room once or twice a year
• Send teacher material (to keep in touch)
• Invite them to the lab
• Introduce them to science programs like QuarkNet
• Answer questions for students (e-mail)
• Teachers student won prize for website
• Takes minimal time
• Putting a face to science otherwise Fermilab is
  just another science web site

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Anderson High School Class Trip to Fermilab
Me
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Anderson High School Class Trip to Fermilab
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Anderson High School Class Trip to Fermilab
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Anderson High School Class Trip to Fermilab
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Cryoshow

• Jerry Zimmerman (engineer at Fermilab) has been
  doing cryoshows for years
• Found Jerry through science center
• Plugged into what he was already doing
• All ages - 1st graders through college

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Cryoshow
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Cryoshow
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Cryoshow
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Electromagnetism

• Cliff Horvath computing division at Fermilab
• Developed a show for 4th graders
• Found Cliff through Science Center
• VALUABLE resource
• Experience
• Collector of cool science gadgets

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Conclusions

• No matter what the age, 50 is enthusiasm
• JUST DO IT.
• More you do it, the better you get (easier than
  you think)

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Resources

• home.fnal.gov/olga
• Emphasize that Science Center is a useful
  resource!
• Susan Dahl sdahl_at_fnal.gov