NCCAVS Education Events

TOURS We have organized tours of the Computer History Museum, the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC), Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL)  and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Advanced Light Source (ALS).  If you would like to join us on our next tour contact Eugene Xu, In the meantime, visit the SLAC Virtual Tour website  for a preview and map to SLAC.  Grants Available to High School Science Educators  Each year we sponsor middle and  high school science teachers' participation in the AVS Science Educators Workshop at the International AVS Symposium. There is no cost to the teacher or school and funds for a substitute teacher can be provided. The Workshop will be in San Jose, Nov. 9-10, 2009.  To apply contact Della Miller, e-mail Della@avs.org or call (530) 896-0477, or click here to download an application form. Web Sites for SCIENCE TEACHERS  The Bell Jar –"The World of Amateur Vacuum" Lots of hints for low-cost experiments and demonstations.  Nanoworld For Kids -University of Wisconsin. San Francisco Exploratorium  San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation  Life, the Universe and Everything – jazzy animations, and activities for the classroom.  Delights of Chemistry - Univ. of Leeds (England). Brainpop – Animations on science, technology, and health for 5th to 8th grade.  Optics for Kids – for 6- to 12-year-olds. AVS Vacuum History Timeline (short version) More Opportunities For Science Educators IISME – Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education. Summer fellowships for K-12 teachers in the SF Bay Area.  California Science Project  Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education. Summer fellowships for K-12 teachers in the SF Bay Area.

Be a SCIENCE FAIR advisor or judge!  Each year the NCCAVS awards prizes for outstanding physical science entries at the San Mateo County Science Fair, the Tri-Valley regional Science Fair,  the Synopsys Santa Clara Valley Science Fair, and the Chico Science Fair. The judging criteria is defined here.       The school and regional Science Fair season is January-April. Volunteer to be a Science Fair judge in your area.  Our coordinator is Sabir Majumder.       Find out more at these sites:  Tri-Valley Science Fair (East Bay) San Carlos School District Science Fair San Mateo County Science Fair (Feb 1-6) San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair Santa Clara Valley Science Fair (Synopsys) Synopsys Silicon Valley Science & Technology Championship Santa Cruz Science Fair Contra Costa County Science Fair (Concord) Chico Science Fair Sonoma County Science Fair (Feb 11) ----------------------------------------------------------------- For the past four years we have presented vacuum workshops at the annual California Science Teachers Association Conference (above).  We will again participate at the CSTA Conference in Palm Springs, CA Oct 22-25, 2009.

Useful links: Vacuum & pressure gauges, Balston Oil mist filters, Gas balast Oil sealed pump information, Pressure at different altitudes, Pressure conversion table
EYH Workshops  Each Spring we participate in Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) science workshops for young women in 6th grade through high school. This year we made presentations at the Tri-Valley EYH Workshop (San Ramon), the San Jose State University workshop, and  the Skyline College Workshop. The  pictures above and below are from the 2004 and 2005 workshops at San Jose and Skyline. If you are female and would like volunteer to participate please contact Kathy Arnold, kvarnold.avs@gmail.com.	Workshop Demonstrations  Below are handouts that describe some of  the CSTA and EYH demonstrations and experiments. The documents  include a list of equipment and materials, the procedure, and supplemental information.  Click on the image to download the PDF file. Low cost lung demonstration Experiments using a simple (battery powered) vacuum apparatus "Trash Bag Hug" Low-cost Vacuum Experiments (360 kB) Bargain Basement Lung Demonstration Is There Sound in a Vacuum? (148 kB) Strange Effects in a Vacuum (391 kB)  Triple Point Experiment (296 kB)  Science Teachers --  Do you have a vacuum pump that needs service?  Get some helpful hints and a list of vendors who offer discounted services. Click on pump image to download the PumpHelp.PDF file.
The NCCAVS Education Committee is composed of volunteers with an interest in promoting vacuum science education at all levels.  Members come from a variety of vacuum-related backgrounds and experiences.  Join Us!  This is your invitation to participate.  Even if you can only help with one or two projects a year you can contribute to decisions affecting the 150,000 square-mile Chapter area. Join us at our next Education Committee Meeting in Santa Clara. For directions, date and time, contact Randy Mundt, mundt1@comcast.net, Acting Education Committee Chair, or Della Miller, della@avs.org, or call (530) 896-0477.