Education programs train, inspire future researchers

High school girls receiving tours of chemistry and physics labs by women scientists. Students sampling soil to determine what elements are present. Teachers training to use sophisticated laboratory equipment, and then passing that knowledge to their students. Learning means more than sitting in a classroom and taking notes. That's why Argonne provides hands-on experiences for students and their teachers.

The annual Rube Goldberg Machine contest for high schools is a fun way to learn science. Combining the principles of physics and engineering, students use common objects such as marbles, mousetraps, stuffed animals and anything else on hand to create complex devices to perform simple tasks. Placing a golf ball on a tee or filling and sealing a glass jar are among the tasks performed in previous contests.

Another important program for Chicago-area high school students is the annual Science Careers in Search of Women conference. Argonne has hosted the day-long meeting for 13 years, providing a scientific "community of women" to interact with young high school women to inspire them to explore careers in scientific and technical fields.

Students also receive hands-on experience with the new Argonne Fluorescence X-ray Online Project. Fifth- through eighth-graders in northeastern Illinois are putting their chemistry studies to use by conducting field research on local soil samples. At the same time they are expanding their environmental knowledge.

Argonne provides students with access to sophisticated laboratory equipment most schools cannot afford through the Instructional Van program. Junior- and high-school teachers attend Argonne workshops to learn to use the equipment and then may borrow it for classroom use. About 10,000 students use the equipment each academic year. The Northwestern Institute for Environmental Chemistry and Argonne's Chemistry Division run the science program. This research program is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Newton answers science questions. The laboratory also reaches out to both students and their teachers through its free, online service called Newton.

Newton's most popular feature is the "Ask a Scientist" program on the World Wide Web (see the link below). Since its 1991 inception Newton has answered thousands of questions. Students can check the Newton archives for answers to questions already asked through a search engine. Scientists around the world volunteer to answer queries. With Newton, students can practice telecommunications, retrieve information on a wide variety of subjects and contact research scientists all over the world. For teachers, it provides a variety of discussion areas, ideas for curriculum development and Internet service. The service receives a large number of visitors, averaging nearly one million visits per month.

Argonne takes its job of training tomorrow's scientists seriously. The lab's undergraduate and graduate internship programs allow students to conduct real-world research using Argonne's state-of-the art facilities. Interns and graduate students work elbow-to-elbow with researchers in their labs, gaining valuable experience and learning by doing research. In 1999 more than 800 students participated in these programs.

For more information about Argonne's educational programs, visits the following Web sites: