Fairfield University and Roger Ludlowe Middle School students learn science together under Kellogg Foundation grant | Press Releases

In an intra-school cooperative program, students of physics at Fairfield University will work this Wednesday, March 21, with students at Roger Ludlowe Middle School who are preparing for a mock town meeting. They will work together from about 11:35 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., developing different policy positions on the issue of nuclear power and nuclear waste disposal, specifically, the building of a national repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

The students from both schools are working under a $20,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation, awarded to Dr. Nancy Haegel, professor of physics at Fairfield University. Dr. Haegel and Pattie Hunt, the Lead Science Teacher at Ludlowe have developed the program to give their students a level of scientific literacy and interest that will allow them to participate effectively in public debates that involve scientific principles. The University students are enrolled in a new pilot science core course.

Last December, Dr. Haegel and Ms. Hunt went with the sixth-grade students to the Millstone Nuclear Plant Discovery Center. In addition, Linda Desell from the Department of Energy Yucca Mountain Project and John Hadder from the environmental group, Citizen Alert, spoke at both Fairfield University and Ludlowe.

This is the first of several meetings planned between the two student groups this semester. E-mail exchanges between the students will help facilitate mentoring of the younger students.

Questions about the program may be directed to Dr. Nancy Haegel, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2192 and Ms. Patti Hunt, (203) 255-8345. For assistance, please call Nancy Habetz, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2647.