News

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.

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.