Fermilab reaches out to minority high school students

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia is reaching out to minority high school students with a special event Wednesday that includes talks with physics and engineering staff, a workshop for teachers, and a lunchtime performance by the Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago.

Fermilab is expecting about 270 students and 35 math and science teachers from 11 high schools. Fermilab hosts lectures and community events and tours, but this outreach event - "High Energy, High Ambition," - is the first of its kind. It is organized by employees and celebrates Black History Month.

"It's an outgrowth of our diversity council," said Sandra Charles, a specialist in Fermilab's equal opportunity office. She chairs community involvement and outreach for the council.

Students were chosen by the high schools. The event is primarily for black, Hispanic and Native American students, but no students are excluded because of ethnicity.

"The focus is on science and engineering, but we also want to let students know there are myriad jobs available which require varied backgrounds," Charles said. "They will be hearing about jobs in administration and computing as well as physics and engineering.

"We want students to think, 'Maybe I can work at Fermi in another capacity,' " Charles said. "We want to broaden their perspective."

The participating schools are Aurora Central Catholic, Bolingbrook, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Neuqua Valley, Proviso East, Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy, South Elgin, Streamwood, Walter Payton College Preparatory Academy, Waubonsie Valley and West Aurora.

The students will be given tours and will hear talks by physicists and engineers. Samuel Dyson, a physics teacher at Walter Payton College Preparatory and winner of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, will conduct a workshop for teachers.

"Sam Dyson has had a lot of success with innovative practices on how to keep students engaged in the learning process," Charles said.

"If you build awareness and encourage academic pursuits, you can develop a pipeline of talented individuals with diverse experience," Charles said. "There's a route, but students don't know what it is. If their awareness is raised and their interest peaked, we can build and nurture an interest at an early age. Then they can seriously pursue math and science at a collegiate level and hold positions in the field."

Fermilab conducts basic research in high energy physics and related disciplines.