Making Stuff Outreach at the Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University
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Making Stuff Outreach at the Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University Katherine A. Ament1, Steve Karsjen1, Adah Leshem-Ackerman1, Alexander King1 1
The Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT The U. S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa was a coalition partner for outreach activities connected with NOVA’s Making Stuff television series on PBS. Volunteers affiliated with the Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University, with backgrounds in materials science, took part in activities including a science-themed Family Night at a local mall, Science Cafés at the Science Center of Iowa, teacher workshops, demonstrations at science nights in elementary and middle schools, and various other events. We describe a selection of the activities and present a summary of their outcomes and extent of their impact on Ames, Des Moines and the surrounding communities in Iowa. In Part 2, results of a volunteer attitude survey are presented, which shed some light on the volunteer experience and show how the volunteers’ participation in outreach activities has affected their views of materials education. PART 1: SUMMARY OF EVENTS 1. Overall Program Making Stuff, NOVA’s television mini-series and outreach program provided the basis from which an outreach coalition was constructed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory. With assistance from our partners, we were able to reach an estimated 1,050 people1 and share with them the excitement of Materials Science. Thirty-four volunteers participated in 25 events which took place across central Iowa from December 2010 to April 2011. We were able to reach out to the community through mutually beneficial partnerships catalyzed by this program. Table I includes a comprehensive list of our partners and the benefits they provided.
1
An event occurring after the publication of this paper is expected to reach an additional 500 people. This estimate does not include students in the classrooms of fifty teachers who received activity guides and outreach toolkit information.
Table I - List of Partners, events and unique benefits provided by each partner
Partner Science Center of Iowa Science Center of Iowa Sawyer Elementary School Fellows Elementary School Ames Laboratory Ames Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy Science Bound/Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) Science Bound/IPRT NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals Iowa State University Physics Department Valley West Mall Ames Public Library Clive Public Library Material Advantage club Materials Research Society club
Event Science Café (2) Episode viewing Science Night Science Night Episode viewings (4) Science bowl (2) Scientists workshop Science Fair (2)
Provided by partner Publicity, facilities, audience Publicity, facilities, audience Publicity, facilities, audience Publicity, facilities, audience Publicity, facilities, audience Facilities, audience Facilitator Facilities, audience
8th grade workshop Teacher workshop
Facilities, audience Facilities, audience
Teach
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