BATAVIA, Ill.— From rockets to hot-air balloons, from soap bubbles to egg-crash derbies: Visiting scientists and science teachers will team up with Roaring Fork Valley organizations to offer kids a special combination of learning and summer fun during “Snowmass 2001: A Summer Study on the Future of Particle Physics,” June 30-July 21 at the Snowmass Conference Center.
The Science Outreach Center of Carbondale will bring a special one-week session (July 2-6) of its Brainteasers Summer Camp program to the site of Snowmass2001, with guest appearances by physicists attending the particle physics workshop. Brainteasers will offer “Phantasmagorical Physics” sessions for two age groups. Six- to ten-year-olds will explore energy, magnetic and electric fields, momentum, atoms, pressure and Newton’s laws of motion. Eleven- to fourteen-year-olds will experiment with energy by building cars and rockets, exploring the concepts of motion, collision, and conservation laws.
“Our goal is to provide the best in inquiry-based instruction, fostering a child’s natural capacity for individual problem-solving and critical thinking, while having all the fun that a summer camp can offer,” says Center director Linda Froning.
Brainteasers Science Camps have been annual events since 1985, devoting an entire week to a single topic. This year, the focus on physics coordinates with the Snowmass summer study. During the second and third weeks of the conference, visiting physicists will also take part in the Brainteasers camps at their Carbondale home site.
To find out more about the Science Outreach Center in Carbondale, about Brainteasers at Snowmass, and about registration and fees, contact director Linda Froning lfroning@rof.net, telephone 970-963-2922, or fax 970-963-3577.
Meanwhile, back at the Snowmass Mall, more physicists and teachers will host two-hour programs at Camp Snowmass each morning for elementary and middle school children during the conference’s second and third weeks (July 9-13 and July 16-20). Planned activities include cosmic ray studies, making giant soap bubbles at Science on the Mall’s hands-on exhibits, building motors, building model hot-air balloons, and crash testing model passenger vehicles made of eggs.
To find out more about Camp Snowmass, registration and fees, contact director Sue Way <sway@aspensnowmass.com>, telephone 970- 923-0570, or visit the web at http://www.aspengov.com/recreation/campsnowmass.html.
The goal of the education outreach efforts at Snowmass2001 is to have physicists from around the nation—and from other nations—share their passion and enjoyment of science in the world around us.
“Scientists have the same curiosity and excitement about the world that children do,” says theoretical physicist Elizabeth Simmons of Boston University, coordinator of Snowmass2001 outreach. “As we gather to shape our future research into the nature of the universe, it’s our pleasure and responsibility to encourage the curiosity and potential of the next generation of scientists and citizens.”
Simmons, a Trustee of the Aspen Center for Physics, notes that the Center has a well-established local outreach program, while children like her son Ari have long enjoyed the community’s day camps. “This summer, we have a chance to combine these efforts and expand them,” she concludes.
With the expanded Brainteasers and Camp Snowmass, there should be some distinctive essays on “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” when school starts up again.
“Snowmass 2001,” running June 30-July 21 at the Snowmass Conference Center, represents a unique opportunity to gain new insights into the world around us. To arrange coverage of this world-class science gathering, visit the Web at—
www.fnal.gov/pub/snowmass/media_registration.html.
Fill out the registration form, and submit it electronically; or print it and fax it to Fermilab’s Office of Public Affairs at 630-840-8780.
For more on the conference and schedule, visit Snowmass2001.org.
Fermilab, providing organizational and logistical support for Snowmass 2001, is operated by Universities Research Association, Inc., under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy.