News

By CHARMIAN SCHALLER

Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

Andy Trottier, president of the Bradbury Science Museum Association, spoke to Kiwanis recently, explaining the goals and plans of this relatively new organization.

Trottier, a member of Kiwanis, has "retired" several times--after 32 years in the military, after serving as principal of Los Alamos Middle School (in 1997), and as security advisor to the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory (in 2015). Now he has some new goals to pursue.

He and KayLinda Crawford, secretary of the association, passed out to Kiwanis members a handout that said the association's mission is "to support and inspire learners of all ages in Northern New Mexico and beyond through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education." The association's goals, one handout said, are:

• "(to) operate a museum store to support STEM education;
• "(to) provide volunteer opportunities to expand museum outreach;
• "(and to) build support for the museum mission through members and donors."

Another handout said, "The Bradbury Science Museum is the window into the past and future of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Bradbury Science Museum Association hopes to provide every student in Northern New Mexico the chance to experience the museum through field trips and workshops."

Trottier said LANL has never before had an organization like this for the Bradbury, and as it stands now, "Many school children are unable to get here. We need to find ways to show them how LANL and the Bradbury have built STEM." He said the laboratory supports the goals of the association and has provided a memo of understanding for its work, and the LANL director "has made clear the importance of engaging young people in what we do here."

Field trips and workshops at the Bradbury can lead to a better understanding of science, and subsequent STEM education can eventually lead to good jobs at the laboratory.

Right now, the association needs members, donations, volunteers, and business partnerships, Trottier said.

The association store at the museum will open (first as a kiosk and later as a full-scale store within the museum) on Dec. 2, 2016. It will make use of volunteer staffers.

Membership in the association, which is tax deductible, can range in price from $35 for a student or faculty member, to $75 for an entire family (including all children in the family who are under age 18). "Partnerships" can range from $500 for a business contributor up to $5,000 for a business leader.

Interested people can sponsor museum activities (such events as Family Science Night) and field trips for schools in Northern New Mexico (which cost about $600 per busload).

Interested? Trottier invited Kiwanis members and others to visit the museum (which regularly changes its exhibits), talk to staff members and association members, or read the association website at www.bradburyassociation.org  , for full details.

He and Crawford confirmed that there will be small items on sale as of Dec. 2 that might be appropriate for holiday gifts—items such as mugs, pins, and shirts. Later, they said, there will be calendars and magnets with the Bradbury logo, and the store's inventory will continue to grow.

They urged supporters to consider donating, since "our survival is based on donations."

Trottier said about 82,000 people per year now visit the museum. He wants to make sure that all possible school children in Northern New Mexico are part of an eventual, much larger, total attendance--for their own sake and for the laboratory.

Photo Credit: Los Alamos County

If you’ve ever wondered why the Bradbury Science Museum doesn’t have a gift shop, you’re not alone. “There is huge demand for a gift shop in the museum,” says Ryn Herrmann, vice-president of the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA). “But because the museum is a Lab facility, managed by the Department of Energy, it’s not allowed to offer things you might find at other museums, such as a store.”

That’s where the newly formed BSMA comes in—to serve as the Bradbury’s nonprofit partner and fill the opportunities that the museum cannot legally fill itself. "A nonprofit organization that represents the Los Alamos and BSM mission has been needed for a long time to carry forth the functions and services that are needed and expected," explains BSMA President Andre Trottier, noting that the BSMA operates on an "institutional agreement" with the Laboratory. “In addition to opening a gift shop, the BSMA also plans to provide volunteer opportunities to expand museum outreach and build support for the museum mission through memberships and donations.” 

The association will also provide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs and scientific literacy for people of all ages through workshops, field trips, and special events. “The BSMA is not funded by the Lab, so the association must raise funds through memberships, donations, sponsorships, and proceeds from a museum store,” says BSMA Secretary KayLinda Crawford.

The store, called Gadgets, will be a moveable kiosk inside the museum and will likely open on Saturday, December 2, during Winterfest. 

See full article here ---> Article

By Carole A. Clark, Los Alamos Daily Post

Today, the White House announced the recipients of the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, including Los Alamos High School teacher Kathleen (Kathy) Boerigter, who is being honored in science.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded to outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers from across the country. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process at the state level. Each nomination year of the award alternates between teachers in the kindergarten through 6th grade level, and those teaching 7th through 12th grades. 

“To receive the Presidential Award is very humbling because I have known and worked with so many outstanding teachers throughout my career,” Boerigter said. “This award acknowledges the passion and dedication that I have put into working with young people over many years. I also see this award as recognition of my fellow staff that support me and provide me with the opportunity to do what I love. The Award reflects all of the hours that I never settled for just being good enough for my students.”

Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion, and are invited to Washington, D.C. Sept. 8, for an awards ceremony as well educational and celebratory events, and visits with members of the Administration.

“The recipients of this award are integral to ensuring our students are equipped with critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are vital to our Nation’s success,” President Obama said. “As the United States continues to lead the way in the innovation that is shaping our future, these excellent teachers are preparing students from all corners of the country with the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills that help keep us on the cutting-edge.”

President Obama and his Administration have taken significant steps to strengthen education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in order to fully harness the promise our Nation’s students. The President’s Educate to Innovate campaign, launched in November 2009, has resulted in more than $1 billion in private investment for improving K-12 STEM education. Additionally, in 2011, the President set an ambitious goal to put 100,000 additional excellent STEM teachers in America’s classrooms by 2021.

Thanks to the work of more than 280 organizations, 30,000 new STEM teachers have already been trained, and resources are in place to train an additional 70,000 STEM teachers by 2021. In parallel, the President has called for increasing the proficiency of America’s existing STEM teachers with a Master Teacher Corps initiative, which would identify the most effective K-12 STEM teachers and support them in a program to propagate their best practices with their peers. Read more about the President’s commitment to science, technology, and innovation HERE .

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics or science (including computer science) teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Up to 108 teachers are recognized each year.

Awardees also join an active network of outstanding educators from throughout the nation. Since 1983, more than 4,600 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.

To learn more about the PAEMST program, click here .

This year, Boerigter begins here 19th year of teaching chemistry at Los Alamos High School.

“We couldn’t be more proud,” Superintendent Dr. Kurt Steinhaus said. “Kathy is a prime example of excellence in our schools and the reason our district is among the best.”

Boerigter teaches Chemistry to 10th grade students and Advanced Placement Chemistry to 11th–12th grade students. She is the adviser for both Key Club and Science Bowl Team, and has taken both teams to numerous national and regional competitions. She said that she is excited to be starting the new Chem Club this year.

Before teaching in Los Alamos, Boerigter taught at Brookline High School in Massachusetts and Amphitheater High in Tucson, Ariz. 

Boerigter also spoke of her passion for teaching science to students at all levels and rarely turns down an opportunity to teach. Most recently, she taught Chemistry in the Kitchen at a local children’s college and staged demonstrations with her previous students at the Community ScienceFest. She has mentored numerous new teachers and student teachers during her 25 years of teaching, and enjoys seeing previous students enter the field of teaching and chemistry.

Boerigter earned a B.A., cum laude, in biology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. She also received a M.A. in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in adolescent and young adult science and is married to Steve Boerigter who works at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The couple has three grown daughters. 

The newly formed Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) is the nonprofit partner of the Bradbury Science Museum (BSM). Its role is to provide educational, volunteer, fundraising and other initiatives of the BSM.

It's a busy day at the BSMA ScienceFest booth as Los Alamos High School student volunteers, from left, Jenny Wang, Maia Menefee, Serena Birenbaum, Prestley Gao and Tom Maggiore demonstrate the Enigma machine coding system used by the Germans in WWII. In addition to learning about deciphering codes, participants also had a chance to separate out wheat germ DNA – another kind of code. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/ladailypost.com

While admission to the Bradbury Science Museum is free-of-charge, BSMA memberships strengthen and expand the BSM experience for all who visit the museum.

The Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) engages visitors of all ages at its first public activity during Los Alamos ScienceFest Saturday at Ashley Pond Park. Photo by KayLInda Crawford/ladailypost.com

The BSMA supports the BSM and STEM Education by providing:

• A Membership Program;
• Automatic enrollment into the Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) Travel Passport Program, giving members reciprocal benefits at more than 300 museums nationwide. VisitWWW.ASTC.ORG/PASSPORT  for details;
• Membership card;
• Membership decal;
• Tax deduction;
• Increased educational outreach programs to local and neighboring communities;
• Volunteer opportunities at the BSM, such as docent training;
• A much-anticipated museum store so visitors can purchase souvenirs;
• Eligibility to apply for grants for educational and other programs;
• A giving program (the BSMA is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization); and more.

LAHS student volunteer, Jenny Wang engages with a visitor Saturday at the BSMA ScienceFest booth. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/ladailypost.com

Welcome to Our Website!

The mission of the Bradbury Science Museum Association is to support the Bradbury Science Museum’s (BSM) http://www.lanl.gov/museum/ mission and visitor experiences as its official nonprofit partner, operating under the IRC 509(a)(2) as a tax except organization.

We will promote public learning about the valuable history of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and its mission to provide security for the United States of America while recalling it’s noteworthy accomplishments in the field of science and technology and we bring you closer to the people of Northern New Mexico who have dedicated their lives to improve LANL and enrich the lives for their families.

We hope you will enjoy this website and encourage you to visit our Facebook site to keep abreast of our activities. When you are in Los Alamos we encourage you to take a historic tour of the Bradbury Science Museum and visit the Los Alamos Historical Society Museum http://www.losalamoshistory.org to learn more about the rich history and culture in Los Alamos. To learn more about our community and places to stay, dine and our recreation and business opportunities visit The Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce http://losalamoschamber.com

Thank you,

Andre J. Trottier, President

Bradbury Science Museum Association

The Bradbury Science Museum is a proud member of The Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce