ML20045B708

NRC School Volunteers Program.Handbook

ML20045B708
Person / Time
Issue date:	06/30/1993
From:	NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA)
To:
References
NUREG-BR-0105, NUREG-BR-105, NUDOCS 9306180326
Download: ML20045B708 (16)

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t U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS NRC SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM I

This Handbook provides basic information j

for participants in the NRC School Volunteers Program.

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Additional information may be obtained 7

by contacting the program coordinator at OPA j

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TABLE OF CONTENTS i

Background.

.3 i

Activities.

. 4 Resource Material..

4 4

Recognition.

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.5 Membership and Parucipation.

Guidance.

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.6 A.

Career Awareness Presentations.

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Topical Lectures &

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Classroom Demonstrations.

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.8 C.

Science Fairs.

1 D.

Tutoring.

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Mentoring and Career Counseling.

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Student Visits to NRC.

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Teacher Workshops.

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t U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs NRC l

SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM t

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BACKGROUND By Executise Order on October 13, 1983, the President inaugurated the National Partnerships in Education (PIE) Program which encourages l

Federal employees to volunteer their services to improve the quality of edu-canonal systems in America. The NRC School Volunteers Program is an i

extension of this National Program and has been cited not only as an exem-

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plary effort by educational researchers but is frequently cited as a model at educational seminars.

Coordinated by the Office of Public Affairs, the Program includes over 250 f-headquaners employees who volunteer to assist students and faculty at over 100 schools in Maryland (pnmarily in Montgomery County), the District of

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Columbia and Nonhern Virginia. It has reached hundreds of educators and i

j over 25,000 students from kinderganen through college. Students repre-sent all economic levels and ethnic origins: some are academically advanced and some are at nsk of dropping out of school.

The Program gives NRC visibility in the community as an agency commit-

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ted to improving the education of our youth-particularly in the areas of In mathematics and science-and as a provider of positive role models.

additmn, the students and teachers have an opportunity to learn about the regulatory role of NRC, the professionals who suppon it, and how the

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agency carries out its mission in an open environment.

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A special focus of the program, in keeping with national emphasis, has been to motivate elementary and secondary school students to pursue the fields of mathematics, science and engineenng. The Program encourages all students to attain a level of scientific literacy that will enable intelligent panicipation in public and private decisions.

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i U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

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ACTIVITIES i

NRC employees present hands-on science demonstrations, discuss their careers, and serve as classroom lecturers and judges at science fairs. They work directly with the students as academic tutors and mentors, provide assistance in developmg science projects. and allow students to " shadow" M? -

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them on their jobs. NRC also hosts student visits to the agency and pro-w.w

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vides workshops for teachers.

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Volunteer assignments are made based on the interests and needs of the

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pamcipating schools as well as the desires and availability of the volun-teers While most backgrounds are needed, highest demand is for engineer-

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l mg. mathematics. physical sciences, statistics, computers. and journalism.

YE Many of the activities are conducted dunng regular work hours but others 75PC..

7 involve evenings and week-ends.

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memn RESOURCE M ATERIAL W82L*rh

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The Office of Public Affairs has a librarv of resource matenal available to

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volunteers. It contams some simple scientific equipment, descriptions of h

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hands-on demoristrations, films, slides. handbooks, lesson plans, and a vari-b

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N ety of brochures, pamphlets and other written documentation which is regu-n-

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larly used by volunteers to prepare and present demonstrations, lectures and v;

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projects for the classroom. Colorful NRC decals are also available for dis-y

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RECOGNITION r

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The NRC is recognized by panicipating schools as having a highly capable

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cadre of volunteers and for its significant contributions in meeting the edu-3

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t' cational needs of the local community. The agency has received several h

.m Outstanding Savice to Education Awards from the Momgomery County f.(

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-pi' Pubhc Schools (MCPS).

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Volunteers are recognized by NRC's Chairman. Commissioners, and the gt.

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ij i Executne Director for Operations for giving their time and effon to e-improving the quality of education. They actively suppen and participate in

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this valuable program and encourage others to join their colleagues in

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4, Periodicallv, a recogmtion ceremony is held for all active volunteers and 4

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4 each one receives an NRC cenificate signed by the Chairman. At this cer-

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY OMMISSION 1

emony, the NRC Chairman and the superintendent of MCPS sign an agree-

l ment renewing their commitment to work together for education excel-

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lence.

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MEMBERSillP AND PARTirlPATION

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Interested headquarters emoloyees can sign up to participate in the School Volunteers Program by contacting the Office of Public Affairs (504-2240) or stopping by Room 2G5(OWFN) and completing an interest inventory i

form.

4 Pamcipation of employees in the Program is entirely voluntary. Existing Federal regulations require that activities such as tutoring, counsehng and j

judgmg be undertaken on the employee's own time. Usually, this can be worked out with one's supervisor to make up any time missed for school

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activities. However, activities that clearly involve the performance of NRC business such as explaining NRC functions and participating in career i

awareness activities are regarded as excused absences.

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GUIDANCE i

i Volunteers are considered a part of the school team helping students devel-op their academic skills and potential as individuals. Volunteers should

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have a genuine interest in students. a reasonable amount of time to give to

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the school, a positive attitude, the ability to work with others in the school, g!

and acceptance of individual differences in students.

i In the Procram, teamwork is important and solunteers should work with teachers to assure a positive outcome for the students. In general, volun-teers visitmg the classroom should:

Be dependable, on time and prepared. Let the teacher know if you

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will be unable to keep a commitment. Try to find a replacement-before notifying NRC's Program Coordinator.

j Be sure your words and actions always agree in dealing wnh stu-dents Never promise what you are not sure you can follow

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1 Be calm, unhurried, and anentive. Discipline problems should be

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handled by the teacher-not the volunteer.

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

Discuss with the NRC's Program Coordinator any enticisms of the i

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school, stafY, or procedures.

i The following describes the kinds of activities of the School Volunteers Program and provides some "how to" tips to make volunteering easier and j

more effective.

A. CAREER AWARENESS Dunng career awareness presentations, volunteers give students an inside l

look at what careers are available in the field of nuclear energy and what i

skills are needed in order to qualify for entry into this field. They also describe their jobs here at NRC, how they got to where they are in the orga-nization and how their work supports the mission of the agency and the regulatory process.

Volunteers also serve as speakers for Special Emphasis Programs held 3

annually such as Women in Science. Energy Awareness Month, Black History Month, Hispame Heritage Celebrations, National Science and Technology Week, and other cultural, ethnic, and scientific observances.

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As a career awareness speaker, you can be most effective when you:

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j Ask Share yourself to build a good rapport with the students.

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about current studies on career interests and get students to partici-i pate to " break the ice."

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i Don't lecture or give a detailed seminar on your work.

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v Make a connection between future jobs and what students are i'

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studying in school.

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Describe a typical work day: where you work. special clothing l

you wear, tr.. vel opportumties. whether you work alone. in a team L

l or as a supervisor. how busmess is conducted (e.g..readmg. winten communications and repons, telephone contacts, meetmgs). and I

rypical work hours.

1 Ll Discuss how you chose your career field and identify schools

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I attended and courses taken to fulfill education requirements.

"Show and tell" by bnnging a " tool of the trade" used in the job.

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGUI.,A e Y COMMISSION Are prepared to talk about salary ranges. Don't be surprised if stu-q l

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t dents ask how much money you make.

}j Identify what you like least and most about your work.

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}t Other succestions are included in " Guidelines for Presentations," which is 4

available in OPA.

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I B. TOPICAL LECTURES AND CLASSROOM i

DEMONSTRATIONS i

Volunteers provide to students and teachers nuclear-related information and mstruction. sometimes usmg hands-on demonstrations on various subjects.

These may melude radiation safety, regulation of nuclear power plants, 1

waste and medicine, and other subject areas relevant to NRC.

In speaking to students, volunteers have found the following suggestions to

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be helpful.

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Coordinate with teachers to determine their specific needs and r

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j level of knowledge BEFORE presenting materials and information i

to students.

i S i Avoid a stnctly lecture format. Use a conversational tone and

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move around the room rather than remain behind a lecturn.

i Maximize use of visual aids or hands-on materials to help demon-

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i strate your points and keep your audience's attention.

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'Nhere possible, show the relationship between classroom studies

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and NRC activmes and how the NRC may affect the students' lives.

Keep slides. hand-outs, terminology and explanations simple.

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j Note that overhead projectors are common to most classrooms and j

j are usually available for presentations.

Use examples that would be familiar to the age group of the class.

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Use references to recent news events, notewonhy people or char-

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acters, well-known quotations, humorous pictures, cartoons. per-4 sonal expenences etc. to help convey your points.

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j U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION t

Use student volunteers to help you set up and distribute materials, j

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j samples, pictures, and handouts.

Stimulate thinking by asking questions and getting as many of the

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students involved as possible. Questions that ask students to make

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I a conclusion are especially valuable.

Wait ses eral seconds before calling on students to answer a ques-

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tion thus giving the whole class time to think.

Stay within your alloned time. Plan your presentation for 34 of

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the alloned time, allowing time for questions.

Leave more than a memory behind you - hand out something stu-

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dents can take with them such as NRC decals (available from OPA).

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Understand that the classroom of the 1990's is different from

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l when most volunteers attended school. Do not assume that all stu-dents will be interested in your presentation.

Be aware that a good scientist is not necessarily a good teacher

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and that materials in your science text may not be suitable for the classroom.

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Enjoy the students, their enthusiasm, and their sense of wonder

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because they have a fascinating perspective on the world.

1 C. SCIENCE FAIRS i

DEVELOPING SCIENCE PROJECTS 1

The importance of helping students understand the vital role of science while erhancing their knowledge of what scientists actually do can best be I

demonstrated by working with students in developing their own projects.

Specific guidance to help volunteers meet the challenge of assisting

• i dents m developing scientific projects is pmvided below.

l These guideline are taken from Prince Georges County's ~ Fear Not the l

Science Fair."

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1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATOR ' COMMISSION 1.

In SELECTING A TOPIC, students should choose something they're mterested in and might want to learn more about.

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1 After the topic has been selected, students should DO_ THEIR l

RESEARCH, Foing beyond encyclopedias to collect information from books and magazines, and contacting experts or compames t j that might be able to supply infonnation.

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Students should understand and state clearly the PURPOSE (a l

desenption of what they will do) and the HYPOTHESIS (an edu-cated explanation as to what they thmk will happenk l

Students should keep the EXPERIMENTAL PLAN in mind.

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They should plan as much as possible, considenng all possibilities, tali it over with parents, list all control vanables, consider and test only one vanable at a time, and run at least five test tnals.

5 Students should develop a PROPOSAL (a detailed explanation of the project).

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Students should prepare a comprehensive RESEARCH PAPER l

l which meludes information collected dunng their research as well as a complete desenption of the expenment, data, and conclusion.

j It should becin with a written outime.

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Students should perform the EXPERIMENT under controlled conditions keeping careful records in a special logbook used only for the project.

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The student should develop a one.page summary ABSTRACT that includes purpose, procedures and conclusions.

To highlight and "show off" the project, the student should pre-4 pare the EXHIBIT (visual presentation) carefully usmg graphs.

charts and clear bold lettenng.

10 For the JUDGING, the student should plan how the project will be explained to the teacher, classmates and judges. Students should also look neat, speak clearly and not fidget or do other distractmg thmgs while projects are bemg judged.

The message is clear students - not parents. teachers or mentors -

should do the projects!

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JUDGING SCIENCE FAIRS fr Volunteers are regularly called u;>on to judge projects at science fairs at van-1 ous elementary, middle and high schools in the area. Volunteers are also mvited to panicipate as judges in the annual science fairs of Montgomery and j

Pnnce Georges Counties (Maryland) and the Distnct of Columbia. Each year.

at the Nanonal Institute of Standards and Technology. NRC presents its own

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special awards to selected winners at the Montgomery Area Science Fair.

t Judging at science faits is a rewarding and sometimes learning experience for s olunteers as well as the students. It provides immediate feedback and direct encouragement to students. The students work hard on their projects I

and the s olunteers' interest and advice is greatly appreciated.

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Usually science fair categories include Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Botany, Biology, Chemistry, Computers, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering, En ironmental Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine and Health, l

Physics. and Zoology.

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l Rg School science fairs typically last two to three hours depending upon the midi size of the school's mathematics and science programs. Volunteers are

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normally assigned seven to ten projects to judge and spend about ten min-

_ g3 utes with each student when they are present.

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, a.yty Each school establishes its own groundrules; howes er. most judging

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imo!ves rating projects in three areas: 1) SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT AND g;y -jjy PROCESS AND UNDERSTANDING (hypothesis, procedures and conclu-

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sionh 2) CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, and 3) APPEARANCE.

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Guidance forjudgmg science fair projects includes:

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JW latroducing yourse!f and making the student comfortable in talk-

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Inauinne as to how the student selected the subject of his/her pro-

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ject and what they did to set up and complete the project.

Asking the student what he she leamed from domg the project and

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whether he she enjoyed doing it.

Inquiring about the significance of practical apphcation of the pro-

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ject fmdmes.

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U S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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Lncouraging the student to explore and pursue the study of sci-i

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ence.

Giving the student guidance on future research and testing usmg i

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current project as a springboard.

D. TUTORING

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Tutonng is one of the more long-term and personally satisfying assinn-ments-for the volunteer and the student. It also requires a fair amount of volunteer time on a regular basis.

i Typically, volumeets engage in one-on-one interacuon with a student in a specific area of study, on a tegularly scheduled date, at a pre-estabhshed location, for a specified length of time. to obtain specifically desired goals.

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Tutonng not only provides academic instruction, but m many cases. can l

help increase the student's self-esteem, confidence and personal initiative, 3

l The rewards of tutormg can be immeasurable in the education of a strug-2 gling student.

Following are some simple tips for tutoring:

Learn student's name and how to pronounce it correctly.

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Be relaxed and friendly.

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a Give the studem your full a tention. Listen to what be!she has to 1

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See the student's teachers regularly for instructions on the lessons i

to be taught. Keep the lessons niovmg.

Build the student's confidence. Let him'her know you expect

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him/her to do well.

If the student doesn't know the answer, make sure he/she has time

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to thmk. but help with answers before he/she becomes uncomfort-able.

Make all tasks appear challenging. Do not tell a student,"this is j

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easy," or he she will feel defeated if he/she fails in the task.

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l U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION a

t 11 it Ask for help when you have a problem that you are not sure how 1

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4 to handle.

L Be patient. Progress may seem slow. After a few months, you'll 4

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notice some gains.

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Remember that your interest and enthusiasm may be the smgle i

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'l most important part of success in leammg.

l The Handbook. available from OPA, also includes the followmg " praise phrases" to be used m complimenting specific behaviors:

Now you've got the hang

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Wow!

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of it.

You really outdid l'm proud of the way

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'i you yourself today.

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That's creative.

That's quite an impros ement.

This is nicely done.

That'.s a good pomt

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(or questica).

t You are really improving.

Good thinking.

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f That'sjust great!

Exactly nght.

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i 1like the way you Congratulations!

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e E. MENTORING AND CAREER COUNSELING 4

Mentonng and counseling are usually both long-term commitments to help guide a student towards success in the future. The nature and intended out-come of the guidance depends on whether a student is 1)"at nsk" of drop-ping out of school and needs motivation to do well or 2) academically i

advanced gifted and needs career advice. Mentors work directly with stu-dents to provide a positive role model offenng support. guidance and assis-l' tance to help students gam skills and confidence in themselves. They share their talents. expenences and insights with students to help them d:scover i

their own potennai and encourage them to succeed.

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3 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION The MCPS Mentonng Handbook describes the goal of mentoring as help-mg a younger person " gain the skills and confidence needed for the future with emphasis on academic and occupational skills.' As a mentor volun-l teers should not atternpt to be a replacement for parents, guidance coun-l selors or teacners, but should:

Be prepared for initial rough spots.

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Leam about school and commumtv m which mentee lives.

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Understand that there is no " typical" behavior.

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Talk, look and bsten. Communicate on mentee's age level.

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i Help them focus on their strengths and put them in situations

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w here they hase to use those strengths.

4 Remforce, compliment and model positive behavior.

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Help mentee develop the ability to see another's point of view and

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use words to achieve desired outcome.

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Career counselmg of individual students is occasionally provided to guide I

students m their choices of school subjects needed to pursue a scientific,

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engmeenng or other professional career, Other guidance given peruins to

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idenafication of appropnate colleges and universities for attendance, places ot employment that would provide expenence in areas ofinterest, and profes-j

! h sional socieues that could supply valuable contacts for career development.

> a E STUDENT VISITS TO NRC

.a One of the Program's more impressionable activities is havmt students vmt our offices. The Program provides on-site educational ben-fits to

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groups of students when they visit our sarious work area facilities.

l Occasionally one or two students may spend the day shadowing a volunteer m his herjob.

12 field inps to NRC provide insights into the work environment and serve as an effectne forum for com eying typicaljob responsibilities for a vanery of professionals. Here the students can experience first-hand the kind of work a

performed at NRC.

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U S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIOW During these visits, in addition to learning about regulation of nuclear

i power and materials, the students get an opportunity to meet and observe NRC employees at work. They also visit the Commissioners' Conference Room where public meetings are held regularly to discuss issues of con-cern, and often visit the law library, a Commissioner's office and NRC's Emergency Operations Center for a first-hand orientation on how the

i agency monitors and tracks potential emergencies.

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Guidance for this kind of activity is basically the same as for " Career Awareness" or " Topical Lectures and Classroom Demonstrations," depend-y{ l. j -

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-(l ing on the nature of the school's visit.

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G. TEACHER WORKSHOPS 9WQ' Periodically workshops are held at NRC for area educators to team about the NRC. the kind of professionals we employ and special interest areas j

such as the regulatory process, reactor safety, radiation protection, nuclear medicine. and nuclear waste. Typically teachers spend a day at the agency, h;.

listening to and participating in presentations by our engineers and scien-

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tists. The agenda often includes remarks by the Chairman or a i

Commissioner and tours of the One White Flint North building and NRC's Emergency Operations Center.

Specific guidance for this kind of activity is basically the same as " Topical F

Lectures and Classroom Demonstrations."

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