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Larry WoolfGeneral Atomics Sciences Education Foundation
(President/Chair)General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (RSG)
(Scientist/Engineering Manager)
April 11, 2014
An opportunity for GA employees to improve K-12 science education:
GASSSS Program(GA Scientists Supporting Science for
Students)
Agenda
• Brief history • GA education outreach• General Atomics Sciences Education
Foundation (GASEF)• GASSSS Program
• Goals• Application Process• Participants• Presentations • Matchmaker
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General Atomics Education Outreach - A Brief History
• Education outreach initiated by Anne Blue and Pat Winter in 1992• Education modules developed in conjunction
with SD MS and HS teachers• Materials Science• Atomic energy• Fusion• Radioactivity• Biotechnology
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General Atomics Education Outreach - A Brief History
• Other modules• Color• Chromatics• Physics/Materials Science of Light Bulb• Line of Resistance using Graphite Pencil• Physics, Math, and Engineering of Safe
Driving• Posters, educational materials, developed• Presentations to middle and high school
teachers• GA• Education Conferences
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Some GASEF Educational materials
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General Atomics Education Outreach - A Brief History
• Non-profit GA Sciences Education Foundation (GASEF) started in 1995• Support GA outreach efforts• Fund regional science non-profits
• GASSSS program started in 2010• Extensive Fusion Education Outreach Program
• http://fusioned.gat.com
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GASEF home page – www.sci-ed-ga.org
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GASSSS home page – http://www.sci-ed-ga.org/GASSSS/
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• GA Scientists Supporting Science for Students (GASSSS) Program Click Here for GASSSS Details and Application Form (MS Word)
• GA Participants in GASSSS Program• GASSSS Presentations• GASSSS Matchmaker – Matches GA employees
and Educators• GASEF-GASSSS Introduction (PDF l PowerPoint)• GASSSS Poster• Resources for classroom activities• Science Education Outreach Opportunities• Education Outreach Guides
GASSSS Addresses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Needs
• Expose students to scientists and engineers • Attract students into Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) careers• Create community of interaction between
teachers and scientists• Provide real life examples
• Demonstrate scientific and engineering processes
• Improve content knowledge of teachers• Provide a mechanism for GA employees to
help their communities
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GASSSS Program
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• Open to all GA employees• 2 aspects: Activity and associated material purchase• GA employee activity determined by the employee interacting with the teacher (off hours) • Assist teacher in science activity• Perform demonstration• Talk about career
• GASEF will reimburse STEM material purchases up to $500 over a one-year period • Up to $250 for a single classroom • Up to $500 for multiple classrooms/school/district
GASSSS Application Form – fill out before activity
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• Name: • Date: • GA email:• GA company/group/division:• School or Non-profit name and location• Teacher name and email address:• Description of proposed use of funding: • Maximum funding level requested ($250
(class) or $500 (school or region)): • Activity that you will be assisting in
classroom:
GASSSS Application Form – fill out after activity
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• Description of how funds were used by the teacher or non-profit (provide copy of receipts)
• Actual activity performed• Reimbursement check should be made
out to: • Date of activity:• Can the above information be made
public? (Yes/No)
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What if you want to help but don’t have any connections?
• GASSSS Matchmaker Program
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GASSSS Matchmaker (more on web site)
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GA Employees Willing to Participate in GASSSS
Educators Wanting a GA Employee
Name Expertise Name/Grade/School/ email
Activities/ Materials of Interest
Amy Engineer
Mechanical engineer willing to discuss engineering careers, machinery, nuclear energy, energy, atoms, radioactivity
Joe Teacher, 6th grade science, San Diego middle school, [email protected]
Want a scientist to talk about their career and/or do a demonstration about forces in real machines
Andrew LeBlanc
Computer Scientist willing to discuss computer science careers, STEM, STEM outreach, DIII-D, nuclear fusion, hands on physics experiments, computer science experiments, science literacy, history of science
Achi Mishra, Junior at Torrey Pines High School,[email protected]
We would love to have mentors for our FRC Robotics team. We need business mentors so we can be successful in raising money for our team as well as engineering mentors so we can successfully build a robot.
You can support the GASSSS program via United Way Form
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Summary
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• How to locate the site• www.sci-ed-ga.org; click on GASSSS• http://www.sci-ed-ga.org/GASSSS/• Search for General Atomics science education foundation• On internal home page in bottom blue stripe
• GASSSS application is short• GASSSS Matchmaker program
Your contribution can make a difference!
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