The Education and Outreach team was delighted to have been invited to speak during a parallel workshop session offered on the third day of the User meeting entitled “Bringing Big Science into the Classroom”. This all-day session, organized in part by Dr. Aleida Perez and her colleagues at the Office of Educational Programs, featured NSLS-II and CFN scientists sharing highlights of recent educational initiatives aimed at secondary science educators.
Inspiring welcoming remarks were provided by the Director of CFN Chuck Black who spoke about the power of education and the ability of a teacher to change the trajectory of a students’ life. Other presentations included talks given by NSLS-II and CFN staff scientists about high school student research opportunities and workforce development initiatives taking place at Brookhaven. Two high school Research Teachers from Long Island shared their experiences of working with BNL scientists to shape interesting and feasible research questions, design specific protocols, write and submit proposals, and analyze data generated at the beamline with their classes. Dr. Lisa Miller discussed her role in supporting several high school teachers and students through the research and data collection process, culminating in the co-authorship of multiple articles published in scientific journals.
Following lunch, Xraise shared several examples of learning activities developed for high school, illustrating the capabilities of synchrotron science and connecting students’ existing science knowledge to real-world applications. The presentation included a brief overview of the tools used by scientists at CHESS, describing the basics of diffraction and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Xraise translates these scientific techniques into educational resources available to high school teachers through the Xraise Lending Library collection, deploying portable XRF devices, diffraction equipment, and corresponding laboratory investigations. Tour opportunities for classes, professional development for teachers, and online materials for secondary science classrooms were discussed along with information about high school mentoring efforts through interactive exhibits building.
The trip was filled with networking and learning opportunities for the team. In addition to a roundtable discussion, guided tours of both the CFN and NSLS-II were provided by staff scientists. The following day, Xraise met with members of the Educational Programs staff and BNL scientists to learn more about some of their specific programs, how they are funded, staffed and executed by scientists and staff. The Xraise team thanks BNL staff for being such gracious hosts and look forward to working with them in the future.