BATAVIA, Illinois – Summertime is a bright season of adventure and discovery for children, and now is the perfect time to add Science Adventures to your children’s schedule of discoveries for June, July and August at the Leon Lederman Science Education Center, at the Department of Energy’s Fermilab.
Parents can find adventures for Kindergarteners through seventh graders, with sessions lasting from a couple of hours to a full five-day week. Adventures are led by teachers from surrounding communities, members of Fermilab’s Education Office, and other professionals. A sampling, just in June:
- Fish Tales, Grades K-1; Amy Fehrman and Christy Marchessault, Community School District 200–Investigate the lifestyle of several species of fish with sun, fun and of course a little splash! (June 13, 10AM to 11:30 AM, $16 per person)
- Incredible Edibles, Grades 4-6; Felicia Svoboda, Fermilab Education Office-Does hot or cold make a difference? How about storing food? Experiment and find answers to making an edible incredible. (June 20-24, 1 PM to 3:30 PM, $110 per person)
- Crime Busters, Grades 3-5; Randy Jones, Glen Ellyn School District 141-Solve a “crime” with clues found at the scene, using lab procedures such as fingerprinting and DNA testing. (June 14-17, 9 AM to 11:30 AM, $85 per person)
- Bike Camp I: Bikes, Buds and Bugs, Grades 4-6; Dee Huie and Sue Sheehan, Fermilab Education Office-Ride your bike in the prairie in Fermilab’s Tevatron ring. Learn about plants, animals and insects, and about the physics of bicycles. (June 15, 9 AM to 3 PM, $40 per person)
- Why Fly I, Grades 3-4; Bob Thompson, Glen Ellyn School District 41-Learn the principles, and experience the power and freedom of flight, by building model airplanes, helicopters, parachutes and rockets. (June 27-July 1, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, $100 per person)
To enroll in Science Adventures, go to the Fermilab Education Office’s home page on the Web (http://www-ed.fnal.gov/ed_home.html). Then click on “Science Adventures.” Click on each adventure listing for a full description, times and fees, along with a registration form.
And it’s never too early to plan for next school year! Does your school have special interest days, family science nights or after-school science programs? In July and August, the Education Office offers “Hands-On Science for School Volunteers, Grades K-5.” Parent-Teacher Association volunteers can qualify to borrow a set of hands-on activities! Free delivery, pickup and loan of a set of five exhibits that demonstrate the concepts of momentum and acceleration. Send a minimum of two representatives from your PTA for training (fees are $10 per person). Sign up at the “Science Adventures” home page.
Fermilab is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory, operated under contract by Universities Research Association, Inc.
Recommended reading
Teachers take on scientific research through Fermilab’s TRAC program
The Teacher Research Associates program invites educators to Fermilab’s campus to work with Fermilab scientists and engineers using Fermilab equipment and lab spaces for research projects. The application deadline for this year’s program is Feb. 18.
Physics on demand: Fermilab’s annual Family Open House goes virtual Feb. 10-14
The reimagined event will bring five days of family-friendly physics fun from the lab to the living room.
Northern Illinois flourishes as accelerator R&D hub under Fermilab leadership
- accelerator
- accelerator science
- accelerator technology
- Argonne
- Argonne National Laboratory
- education
- Illinois
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Northern Illinois University
- Northwestern University
- University of Chicago
Fermilab and partners in northern Illinois have established the region as a leader in particle accelerator science and technology. Few places in the world boast such a concentrated effort in particle acceleration research, developing and building cutting-edge particle accelerators, and growing an accelerator-focused workforce.