Academic Program Fosters Community Outreach and Promotes ... news/LaserCamp_Fall_2010.pdf · and...
Transcript of Academic Program Fosters Community Outreach and Promotes ... news/LaserCamp_Fall_2010.pdf · and...
AcademicProgramFostersCommunityOutreachandPromotesTechnologicalSavvy
byAmandaMacTaggart
SPIEChapterPresidentGregoryMahandemonstratesagiantkaleidoscopebuiltbyBarbaraDarnell.
Darnell,anengineerfromNewton,Mass.assistedwiththedemonstration.
There’smorethanonewaytoteachstudentsandactivelyengagetheminthelearningprocess,afactthattheThreeRiversCommunityCollegestudentSPIEchapteriswellawareof.Entertheirannualtwodaylaserextravaganza,LaserCamp,whichtookplaceWednesday,November10,2010.Thishalf‐day,student‐runeventhostedover50students
fromlocalareahighschools:WindhamTech,EllisTech,WindhamHigh,andWoodstockAcademy.
SowhatexactlyisTRCC’sfourthannualLaserCamp?Theevent,leadbySPIEstudents(aninternationalsocietyadvancinglight‐basedresearch)andsponsoredbyEASTCONN,TheOpticalSocietyofAmerica(OSA),TheCenterforResearchonInterfaceStructuresandPhenomena(CRISP),TheNSF,andNextGenerationRegionalManufacturingCenter
seekstoeducateareayouthsontheconceptssurroundingthestudyoflight,lasers,andfiberoptics.ComprisedofsixdifferenteducationalactivitiesrangingfromLaserengravingtoNanotechnologytoPolarizedlightartstudentsaregivenachancetosupplementtheirhighschoolcurriculumwithcollegelevelactivities.Whenaskedaboutthecamp,Jennie
Elshakhs,aninstructoratWindhamHighSchoolremarkedonwhatafantasticeducationalopportunitythecampwasforherstudentsandhowgratefulsheandherstudentsweretobeincludedina
campofthiscaliber.
StephaniePerez‐Lopez,anEllisTechstudent,statedherfavoritepartofLaserCampwastheopportunityitaffordedhertoincreaseherknowledgebase,interactwithotherschools,andgainexposuretoafieldofstudy
differentfromherown.SPIEparticipantsAdamStricklandandTanyaFontaine,whorantheLaserTechchallengepicturedbelow,recognizedthatparticipatinginthecampsaffordsthemtheopportunitytopracticetheskills
andknowledgetheyhaveacquiredintheclassroomthroughpracticalapplication.Thiscommunityoutreacheffortalsoallowsthemtoraise
awarenessof,andinterestinthefieldofLaserandFiberOpticsTechnologies,acausetheystronglyfeelbenefitsthe
localareas.
Above,StuCohen&JennieElshakhsstudykeytagscutandengravedbystudentswithTRCC’slaserengraver.
TanyaFontaineandAdamStricklandsetupalasertargetchallenge.
AlsopresentattheeventwereToddFarrellofWindhamTechanelectronicsinstructorthathasparticipatedinthe
campssincetheirinceptionin2007.,andJacquelineGarafano,aGradstudentatUCONNwhorepresentedCRISP(CenterforResearchonInterfaceStructuresandPhenomena).FerrellstatedthatwhiletheprogrammingherewasdifferentfromwhathisstudentslearnintheirWindhamTechclassrooms,hefeltitgreatlyaidedthestudentsintheir
understandingofhowlightandlightexposureaffectthecircuitrytheyarechargedwithcreatingand/orrepairing.
InadditiontotheTRCChostedevents,LaserCampalsotakesparticipatingstudentsonaonedayexcursiontoTrumpfinFarmingtonwheretheyareabletowitnessindustriallasersatwork.
LaserCampteachersandstudentsposewithThreeRiversSPIEstudentchaptermembersafterasuccessfulLaserCamp.