    | Science Education |
       |
The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) is a U.S. Department of Energy basic research laboratory operated to study and understand the detailed structure and behavior of the nucleus of the atom. With the forefront technologies and experiments being conducted by scientific and technical experts, Jefferson Lab is a resource for regional, state, and local educational agencies. In partnership with the local school divisions and the surrounding community, Jefferson Lab is dedicated to:
explaining math and science to students, teachers, parents, and the general public through Lab events and community partnerships,
providing Jefferson Lab-related resources for teachers and faculty, and
providing a nurturing research environment for college students and teachers.
Jefferson Lab's resources to achieving these goals are the staff scientists and engineers themselves. During 2001, about 10,500 students and 750 teachers will interact with Jefferson Lab staff who share their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm.
The BEAMS - Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science - program is a vehicle to bring classes of sixth, seventh, and eighth school students with their teachers to Jefferson Lab for interactions with Jefferson Lab staff via science and math interactive activities. BEAMS targets the middle schools in Newport News with the largest at-risk student populations.
The goals of BEAMS are to:
redress the problem that minorities and females are lost from the science, mathematics, engineering and technology career pipeline long before they reach college and to
strengthen the motivation and academic preparation of students so they graduate from high school as scientifically literate citizens ready for further education or a worthwhile career.
Since 1991, BEAMS has involved about 15,000 students and 375 teachers. Throughout the BEAMS students' middle school years, each student comes to Jefferson Lab each year - for five consecutive days in the sixth grade, two days in the seventh grade, and three days in the eighth grade.
In the 6th grade, students come to Jefferson Lab with their teachers for a specially modified version of their regular academic week. For five consecutive days during school hours, the children and their teacher are immersed in Jefferson Lab's forefront research environment, where they participate in 10 - 12 science and math events and activities conducted with scientists, engineers, and technicians. Each BEAMS class has the opportunity to interact with at least 10 Jefferson Lab staff members for approximately one hour. BEAMS takes place in an on-site classroom, outdoors, in the staff cafeteria, in laboratories, assembly areas, and at the accelerator site. A family night is held for the participating students' families to increase the parents' understanding of science, math, and technology, stimulate greater involvement in their child's education, and reinforce the BEAMS experience.
The ongoing interactions in the 7th and 8th grades extend the initial positive influence BEAMS has shown at the sixth grade level and, at the same time, facilitates the evaluation process of obtaining students' achievement records (course selections and grades) and anecdotal information over a three year period. Through the BEAMS program, Jefferson Lab:
motivates students to continue learning,
provides teachers with activities based on the science and technology at Jefferson Lab,
provides an opportunity for parents to become involved with their children's education at a weekly BEAMS Family Night, and
provides Jefferson Lab staff with a vehicle to share their experiences, expertise, and enthusiasm.
For further information, please contact:
BEAMS Program Manager
Jefferson Lab
628 Hofstadter Road, Suite 6
Newport News, Virginia 23606
email: tyler@jlab.org
Phone: (757) 269-7164
This page is maintained by Steve Gagnon. |