November Family and Youth Leadership Institute
Mark your calendars for the 19th Annual Back-to-School Family Institute and 12th Annual Youth Leadership Institute scheduled for November 4 and 5 at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino in Santa Fe. The event is designed for community members and educators with an interest in resources and strategies to strengthen family-community-school partnerships across New Mexico. Sessions will focus on youth, leadership, policy, parenting, fatherhood, student learning, community action, multicultural families, and immigration, to name a few.
Some sessions will be available in English, Spanish, and native languages. Childcare and activities will be available for youngsters from three to 10 years old.
For more information on the event, including costs, go to http://www.cesdp.nmhu.edu/19th-back-to-school.asp.
“Guiding Good Choices” Class Available for Parents Starting November 1
Family Strengths Network will hold a series of training sessions, designed for parents of children in the fourth through eighth grades, called “Guiding Good Choices” on Mondays from November 1 through the 22, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Hot Rocks Java Café in Los Alamos. This research-based class will inform parents, guardians, and caregivers about how to help children reduce risky behavior, make healthy choices, and encourage family connections.
The sessions will be presented by Michelangelo Lobato, with the Community Health Council, who has been working with children, youth, and families for 10 years.
The cost is $25 per individual or parenting couple and includes lunch! The class is made financially accessible thanks to funding from the Los Alamos DWI Planning Council.
For more information, or to register, go to http://www.lafsn.org or call (505) 662-4515.
Lab Hosts Record Number of Students and Postdocs This Summer
This year, the Lab attracted a record number of students, with the July population numbering more than 1,100 individuals working in technical and nontechnical fields. In addition, there was a record 415 postdocs (those who have completed their doctorates, or PhD degrees) at the Laboratory. Students and postdocs figure prominently in the Lab’s future since 29 percent of all current employees began their careers as student interns or postdocs.
Not only do students bring fresh, new perspectives into the Lab, but have the opportunity to network, gain recognition for their work, and collaborate with some of the world’s leaders in a variety of fields. Students receive support from a variety of sources, including one-on-one mentors, the Student Programs Team, the Community Programs Office, and the LANL Students’ Association.
Over the past four years, both the overall number and the diversity of student interns has grown. This year also saw an increase in funding for students from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security, which led to a more robust program.
Students came from all over the nation. Closer to home, the University of New Mexico had nearly 200 students here, along with scholars from New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico State University, and Northern New Mexico College. With the Lab’s historically strong ties to the University of California (the University is one of the members of the consortium that make up Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the Lab’s manager) it’s not surprising that nine of its 10 campuses were listed as having students here.
For more information on internships at the Lab, go to http://lanl.gov/education/index.shtml. For a list of the current postdoc openings, go to http://www.hr.lanl.gov/JobListing/index.aspx?JobType=Postdoc.
Lab Hosts High-Tech Halloween at the Bradbury Science Museum
As is now tradition, the Lab’s Bradbury Science Museum will host its 17th annual High-Tech Halloween. Held in conjunction with Los Alamos's "Trick or Treat on Mainstreet" activities, High-Tech Halloween will open its doors from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, October 29, for a variety of science demonstrations and activities. Designed for children from kindergarten through middle school, the various stations will focus on great science, engineering, math, and technology. Registration is not needed, but parents or guardians are asked to accompany their children.
In the past, this popular event has attracted more than 2,000 people, but don’t let that “scare” you away. Children, adults, and volunteers always have a good time.
The Bradbury Science Museum is located at 15th Street and Central Avenue in downtown Los Alamos. Admission is free.
For more information, go to http://www.lanl.gov/museum/.