Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science

A Model Educational Partnership Between the Thomas Jefferson National
Accelerator Facility and Newport News City Public Schools

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.

The BEAMS - Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science - program is a vehicle to bring classes of fifth and sixth grade school students, with their teachers, to Jefferson Lab for interactions with Jefferson Lab staff via science and math interactive activities. BEAMS targets the elementary and 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.

Jefferson Lab's resources to achieving these goals are the staff scientists and engineers themselves. Annually, the BEAMS program serves approximately 1,300 students and 60 teachers.

Through the BEAMS program, Jefferson Lab motivates students to continue learning and provides teachers with activities based on the science and technology at Jefferson Lab.

For further information, please contact:

Science Education at Jefferson Lab

628 Hofstadter Road, Suite 6

Newport News, Virginia 23606

email: surles@jlab.org

Phone: 757-269-5002