News

LANB Market President Liddie Martinez engages with Pojoaque Valley students as they participate in a scavenger hunt around the museum. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

Pojoaque Valley students explore the many exhibits at the Bradbury Science Museum. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

Two Pojoaque Valley students look closely at the Energy-Saving Projects exhibit during their field trip to the museum. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

BSMA News:

In a combined effort, Los Alamos National Bank (LANB) and the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) provided bus transportation for some 1,200 students to have a fun-filled day in Los Alamos visiting the Bradbury Science Museum and rolling in the grass at Ashley Pond Park.

Recently, 130 Pojoaque Valley sixth graders participated in the feild trip to the museum thanks to LANB.

“The Bradbury Museum experience has been fantastic!” said teacher Laura Haynes of Pojoque Valley Intermediate School. “They loved the movie and I love how interactive this museum is.”

LANB Market President Liddie Martinez, a 1983 Pojoaque Valley graduate, said she was thrilled to see the students enjoying the museum. “It’s amazing to see the growth of the school!, Martinez said. “Back in the 80’s the classes were much smaller, the growth has been amazing and I’m thrilled we were able to bring these students to the museum. I’m also grateful to the Bradbury for being such a wonderful host to all these field trip students this spring.”

Earlier this year, LANB partnered with the BSMA by giving a $5,000 bus transportation grant specified for underserved school districts in Northern New Mexico.

“With so much uncertainty surrounding budgets, the LANB transportation grant was greatly appreciated,” Haynes said.

During the field trips, the museum staff organizes presentations and scavenger hunts to help the students experience the whole museum and see many types of STEM subjects and applications.

“If our efforts inspire even a few students to study a STEM subject, then we are meeting our education outreach mission,” BSMA President Andy Trottier said. “We’ve had a great year in partnership with LANB, and through our combined efforts, we were able to bring around 1,200 students to the museum since February!”

The BSMA is the nonprofit partner to the museum with the mission of providing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education opportunities to the communities of Northern New Mexico. The BSMA is not part of the museum or the Lab and does not receive funding from the museum or the Lab. The BSMA relies on grants, memberships, donations and proceeds from merchandise sales through the Gadgets Gift Shop located inside the museum. The gift shop is a 100 percent volunteer operation, so store hours vary depending on the availability of volunteers 

From left, BSMA President Andy Trottier, LANB Market President Liddie Martinez and Pojoaque Valley teacher Laura Haynes. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

A Pojoaque Valley student examines the Marchant calculator during her field trip to the museum. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

Pojoaque Valley students find information on The Atomic Age Begins timeline during their scavenger hunt at the musuem. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

LANB Market President Liddie Martinez chats with Pojoaque Valley students during their field trip to the mueum. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

Taos High School student is captivated by the Human Battery hands on exhibit. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/BSMA

 

Taos High School student studies the hands-on Matchstick Puzzle. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/BSMA

BSMA News:

Twenty-two Taos High School students enjoyed the hands-on science activities at the Bradbury Science Museum, thanks to the bus ride paid for by the Bradbury Science Museum Association.

“Getting the bus ride funding made such a huge difference for us!” said Ines Firmo, Taos High School special education science teacher. For some of our students, this is the first time they have been outside of Taos, so I’m really happy that we knew about the BSMA transportation grant so we could give them this experience. Our students are loving all the hands-on science activities here, it’s the best way to learn!”

The Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) is the volunteer non-profit education outreach partner to the museum with the mission of providing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education opportunities for all ages in northern New Mexico.

BSMA is not part of the museum or the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and does not receive funding from the museum or from the Lab, but relies on memberships, donations and the proceeds from merchandise sold through the BSMA gift shop inside the museum.

An Ortiz Middle Schooler enjoys the hands-on Nuclear Safeguards exhibit. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

 

BSM Educator Liz Martineau demonstrates the magnets display to some Ortiz Middle School students. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

 

BSMA News:

Los Alamos National Bank made it possible for 73 Ortiz Middle School students to travel to Los Alamos recently and enjoy the Bradbury Science Museum.

"I am so happy to have the students here! I was so glad to see the LANB transportation grant opportunity because our school does not have the resources to take many field trips," said Linda Gonzalez De Paz, Ortiz Middle School 6th grade bi-lingual science teacher. "These kids don't get opportunities like this very often, and many of our students are really interested in science."

LANB partnered with the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) in February (http://www.ladailypost.com/content/lanb-donates-5000-stem-education) by providing the transportation funding for the most under-served students in northern New Mexico to visit the Bradbury Science Museum.

"We are very grateful for the financial assistance from LANB," BSMA President Andy Trottier said. "Because of their generosity, we have made a positive impact on more than 1,000 students in northern New Mexico since only February. These field trips are a wonderful experience for them and we hope it inspires them to stay curious about STEM subjects."

The BSMA is the 100% volunteer, non-profit, education outreach partner to the museum with the mission of proving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education opportunities for all ages, including field trips.

The BSMA is not part of the museum or the Lab, and is not funded by either the museum or the Lab. 

Ortiz Middle School students enjoy the museum during a recent visit sponsored by LANB. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

BSM Educator Liz Martineau shows students the flash light they will use to make shadows during an activity. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/BSMA

BSM Educator Gordon McDonough explains the Human Battery exhibit to Taos second graders during their recent field trip. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/BSMA

Taos second graders use a tool to create short and long shadows. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/BSMA

​BSMA News:

Approximately 50 Taos second-graders were able to visit the Bradbury Science Museum Thursday in downtown Los Alamos, thanks to the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA).

“Thank you! The kids have really been looking forward to this trip and we couldn’t have gotten here without the BSMA paying for the bus ride,” said Blythe Turner, a Taos second grade teacher.

The BSMA is the 100 percent volunteer, nonprofit, education outreach partner to the museum with the mission of coordinating and providing educational field trip opportunities at the museum to schools throughout northern New Mexico. The BSMA is not part of the museum or the Laboratory and does not receive funding from the museum or the Lab.

“It’s nice to give them the opportunity to work with new materials and meet new challenges,” BSM Educator Liz Martineau said of the students. “It’s fun to watch them figure out solutions to problems through the challenge of making long and short shadows using a model of what happens in the real world, and they get to be part of the model!”

Fifty Ranchos Elementary School 2nd graders on a field trip Thursday to the Bradbury Science Museum, made possible by the generous sponsorship of Los Alamos National Bank. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

Staff Report

Fifty 2nd graders from Ranchos Elementary in Taos took a field trip to the Bradbury Science Museum Thursday, April 13 thanks to the generous sponsorship of bus transportation provided by Los Alamos National Bank.

The Bradbury Science Museum Association, the museum's non-profit education outreach partner, in collaboration with Los Alamos National Bank, is providing the much needed funds to pay the transportation costs for students from the lowest-income schools across northern New Mexico. By the end of the school year, LANB will have paid the bus transportation for 11 field trips serving 606 students!

The BSMA is not part of the museum or part of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and does not get any funding from the museum or LANL.

Submitted by Carol A. Clark  on March 25, 2017 - 10:29am

On behalf of 100+ Women Who Care, UWNNM Executive Director Kristy Ortega, right, presents a donation check to BSMA Vice President Ryn Herrmann, left, and BSMA Secretary KayLinda Crawford Friday at the Bradbury Science Museum. Courtesy photo 

COMMUNITY News:

100+ Women Who Care, the Los Alamos group of women who strive to have a positive impact in the community without the time-consuming effort  associated with fundraising, gathered recently for their first quarterly meeting of 2017 at project Y in Central Park Square.

The group chose to award its first quarter funds to the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) to assist with its Educational Outreach Program. 

BSMA is a local nonprofit organization formed in December 2015. The BSMA has the sole mission of raising money for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education outreach in northern New Mexico – by providing field trip transportation, workshops, teacher development opportunities, special STEM related events and more. (The BSMA is not part of the Bradbury Science Museum or Los Alamos National Laboratory and does not receive funding from the museum or LANL.)

The BSMA will use the funds to create more STEM education field trip opportunities for students in northern New Mexico who need assistance traveling to Los Alamos. Most recently, thanks to a transportation grant from Los Alamos National Bank, the BSMA achieved a STEM education outreach goal when 90 students from El Camino Real Academy visited the Bradbury Science Museum. (The LANB transportation grant is specified to provide transportation for the lowest-income schools in the surrounding area.)

These field trips have a significant impact on students and their teachers. El Camino Real Academy science teacher Katherine Bueler shared these thoughts with the BSMA after her school's Feb. 15, 2017 field trip:

"Thank goodness LANB paid for the buses to get us here! In New Mexico, 8th grade is about U.S. history and physical science, and this field trip is critical to our curriculum. It has gotten quite difficult to get middle school students, who are finally academically ready, out of the Santa Fe city limits to the wonderful museums and parks in northern New Mexico because sources of transportation funding have been disappearing. We depend on Gordon's cryogenics demonstration and all that the students can see at this museum."

About 100+ Women Who Care

The 100+ Women Who Care mission is to reach out and help the community by collecting contributions for local nonprofits. All organizations up for consideration are in the Los Alamos area. The idea is to keep it local and have an impact that can be seen in the local community. The group meets four times per year and each member commits to donating $100 per meeting or commits that total as a team of two or four women.

For more information about 100+ Women Who Care in Los Alamos, contact Kristy Ortega at 505.663.3891 or visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/902262189863796/

BSMA President Andy Trottier, left, and LAPS Superintendent Dr. Kurt Steinhaus at Gadgets, the souvenir pop-up shop inside the Bradbury Science Museum Association. Photo by KayLinda Crawford

BSMA News:

LAPS Superintendent Dr. Kurt Steinhaus, right, visits Gadgets, the Bradbury Science Museum Association's (BSMA) souvenir pop-up shop, during the recent Chamisa Elementary Science Night at the museum.

The BSMA is the newly formed non-profit association with the sole mission of raising money to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education outreach into Northern New Mexico.

“STEM education is an important part of what the Los Alamos schools do every day. Our students especially enjoy the hands-on minds-on activities,” Dr. Steinhaus said. “Thank you for the ​Association's partnership with the museum, and for taking STEM education opportunities outside of Los Alamos and into all of Northern New Mexico.”​

Proceeds from merchandise purchased through the Gadgets souvenir shop support STEM education outreach. BSMA members receive 10 percent discount off of their purchase​s​. Gadgets is a 100 percent volunteer operation.

Gadgets Hours:

• Monday 1-3 p.m.;
• Tuesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
• Wednesday 2-5 p.m.; and
• Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The BSMA is not a part of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and does not receive funding from LANL.

Los Alamos National Bank donated $5,000 Tuesday to the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) to provide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education outreach in Northern New Mexico.

The donation is specified to help students in the most low-income school districts get a field trip to the museum.

“It’s very important to us to help students who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity get to visit the museum,” LANB Market President Liddie Martinez said. “I love this museum and am excited to share it with so many kids in Northern New Mexico!”

The BSMA is the non-profit partner to the museum with the sole mission of raising funds for STEM education outreach in Northern New Mexico.

Museum-themed mugs, hats, and T-shirts are among the items that will be available at the BSMA's kiosk at the Bradbury. “We also hope to sell items with the Los Alamos National Laboratory logo,” says BSMA secretary KayLinda Crawford. “We are waiting for approval from the Department of Energy to use the LANL trademarked logo.”

New kiosk sells items to benefit STEM education.

Holiday shoppers looking for local gifts this month needn’t look farther than the lobby of the Bradbury Science Museum. That’s where the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) will set up its moveable kiosk—a gift shop called Gadgets—starting Friday, December 2.

At Gadgets, BSMA volunteers will sell science-themed items including mugs, T-shirts, books, thumb drives, phone chargers, and travel tumblers with the Bradbury Science Museum’s logo. Eventually the BSMA hopes to increase its inventory to include magnets, postcards, note cards, calendars, and more.

“These items were chosen based on surveys asking visitors and Lab employees what they would like to buy,” explains BSMA Secretary KayLinda Crawford, noting that the Bradbury receives more than 80,000 visitors annually and at least 50 percent of those folks expect to find a museum store.

The revenue from the store is expected to be a significant source of funding for the recently formed BSMA, whose primary mission is STEM education outreach into Northern New Mexico. “The museum store will help pay for things like bus transportation for field trips from any school district in Northern New Mexico,” says BSMA Vice President Ryn Herrmann. “For many young students, an organized field trip is their only opportunity to come to the museum and get inspired about a STEM career they might otherwise never imagine.”

In addition to opening a gift shop, the BSMA also plans to provide volunteer opportunities, expand museum outreach, and build support for the museum mission through memberships and donations. As the Bradbury’s nonprofit partner, the BSMA will fill these roles because the museum cannot legally fill these roles itself under its Department of Energy regulations.

The Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) Board, guests and community members celebrated the official opening of the Gadget Museum Store Kiosk inside the Bradbury Science Museum Thursday in downtown Los Alamos.

The BSMA Board includes President Andre Trottier, Vice President Ryn Herrmann, Secretary KayLinda Crawford, Treasurer Ann E. Parsons and members Ed Fenimore, Heidi Hahn, Carol A. Clark, Shannon Cde Baca, Kathleen Boerigter, Judy McKenzie and Johnnie Martinez.

The BSMA is seeking volunteers to work in the new museum gift shop. Volunteers are needed to serve two-hour shifts as points of contact for visitors wishing to purchase gift items. To volunteer to help operate the museum gift shop, visit the BSMA website at www.bradburyassociation.org, and click on the Volunteer page to learn more.

The BSMA vision is to support the Bradbury Science Museum’s educational mission as its official nonprofit partner, operating under the IRC 501(c) 3 as a tax exempt organization. The BSMA promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) learning and scientific literacy for people of all ages through workshops, field trips, special events and support for museum and community educators.

The BSMA offers memberships for individuals, families and businesses. Each membership includes access to hundreds of out-of-region museums across the country. Of course, tax-deductible donations of all sizes are happily accepted to help the BSMA ramp up its work under its IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Visit www.bradburyassociation.org and click on the Join Us page or the Donate option.