Lincoln Interactive Students Interview Los Alamos National Laboratory Staff

MIDLAND, Pa., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Network of Digital Schools (NNDS) convened the first meeting of the Cutting Edge Science Club, which is comprised of leading high school science students enrolled in Lincoln Interactive courses in schools across the country.  The meeting was held on January 22nd at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center with students joining via videoconference to engage in dialogue with top researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

The CES Club consists of students enrolled in the Introduction to Energy course, one class in online curriculum provider Lincoln Interactive's Cutting Edge Science series. The CES courses cover a wide range of advanced scientific curricula from stem cell research to rocket car engineering. The Introduction to Energy course teaches students the fundamental science and engineering concepts behind alternative and clean energies.

The CES Club is currently enrolling participants from schools in several states across the nation that use the Lincoln Interactive curriculum. Club members will not only have the opportunity to talk with LANL researchers, but also participate in challenging discussions and socialize with like-minded students through regular online meetings.

The first CES Club meeting gave students an opportunity to discuss energy and environmental issues with their peers, and the unique chance to pose questions to a scientist from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, live via video conference.

The students' questions were answered by Dr. Julianna Fessenden-Rahn, a geologist who works with isotopes and carbon sequestration technologies. She was joined by Steve Stringer, Senior Industrial Fellow at LANL's Technology Transfer Division and self-described "business guy." Both Fessenden-Rahn and Stringer were eager to talk with the students and were met with much enthusiasm by a crowd that came armed with questions.

The discussion spanned a range of scientific topics including alternative energy and global climate change. Fessenden-Rahn said she was inspired to go into science because her mother, who always had an interest in the sciences, encouraged her to strive for lofty goals.

Levi Redevoss of Sewickley. Pa., a student of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, was excited about the Roadrunner supercomputer housed at LANL. He asked Stringer about the system and how the lab makes use of such a research asset. Stringer managed the installation of LANL's "CAVE", a virtual 3D immersive environment. He happily engaged Redevoss on the subject, offering the student insight about an advanced technology on which few have worked so closely.

Historically, the Los Alamos National Laboratory has been linked in the American public's mind with the nuclear weapons program. It was there that the first atomic bomb was tested during World War II's Manhattan Project. While maintenance and monitoring of nuclear weaponry is still a key function of LANL, the lab has since moved forward into a variety of scientific research areas, including the researching and developing processes to create new materials and systems for clean and efficient energy.

The collaborative nature of the work performed between LANL and Lincoln Interactive has ensured that students in the Cutting Edge Science courses get a firsthand look at science applied to real world settings. Videos and interviews filmed at LANL are incorporated directly into the course material. Through the live interview with Fessenden-Rahn and Stringer, members of the Cutting Edge Science Club discovered the enhanced engagement they could expect from their Cutting Edge Science classes.

The Cutting Edge Science courses consist of wholly originally online curricula written in collaboration with top scientific researchers. By involving researchers and other experts in course development, the curricula provide a study of the latest research and newest technological developments in the field of science and engineering.

Caleb Beveridge, a CES Club member and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School student, was enthusiastic about the chance to talk candidly with Fessenden-Rahn. He said having a scientist to talk to was really "sweet" and that he'd love to do such activities regularly.

Stringer said enjoyment of the day's events was all part of LANL's "secret agenda." "Our secret reason for all this," Stringer smiled, "is the hope that you will be interested in sciences and one day work here at LANL."

The National Network of Digital Schools includes a diverse group of 200 traditional brick and mortar public schools, charter schools and cyber charters schools from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Michigan, Florida, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Minnesota, and Georgia.  NNDS is the exclusive provider of the premier Lincoln Interactive curriculum.  For more information on the Cutting Edge Science series, visit www.lincolninteractive.com, or email [email protected]. For more information on the Los Alamos National Laboratory, visit http://www.lanl.gov.

SOURCE National Network of Digital Schools