13 January 2014 National Center for Nuclear Research (NCBJ)

60 students participate in the “School for the Future” project run to enhance teaching of sciences & technology in Masovian District technical high schools. 3 of the schools participating in the project will be supplied with didactic versions of GM counters helpful in demonstrating nuclear physics topics.

The counter design was worked out by Warsaw University of Technology students during their training period spent in NCBJ Division of Particle Acceleration Physics & Technology. The counters should greatly facilitate demonstrating nature and properties of ionizing radiation, including such features as capability of various rays to penetrate matter, radiation interaction with matter etc. Exposed electronic circuits of the counters will help to demonstrate their construction. The counters will be workhorse didactic materials during lessons devoted to various nuclear physics topics. The first of the counters was handed over to teachers in The J. Psarski Vocational Schools No. 1 in Ostrołęka on Saturday, January 11. Subsequent ones are soon to be delivered to The M. Kasprzak High Schools No. 38 in Warsaw and The Bohaterów Westerplatte High Schools No. 1 in Garwolin.

“The idea to free-of-charge supply schools with didactic GM counters has been born in NCBJ Department of Education and Trainings, where the `School for the Future` project is currently run. The counters will be delivered to schools that co-operate with us on a new syllabus aimed to educate future personnel for Hi-Tech industry sectors” – said Marcin Sadowski from NCBJ, Leader of the Project. – „Our mission is on one hand to attract more student’s interest to physics/chemistry/electronics, and on the other hand to make the youth better prepared to enter future marketplace, in particular taking in mind needs of the future nuclear power industry sector in Poland”.

Currently the first semester of extracurricular activities organized within the `School for the Future` project framework is coming to the end. 60 students from three Masovian District high schools attend free-of-charge additional physics classes taught by five teachers in cooperation with NCBJ experts. The students will spend some time as a training period in NCBJ Świerk, where they will be given an opportunity to visit MARIA, the sole research nuclear reactor operated in Poland.

„On the basis of conclusions reached jointly with both students and teachers we are going to verify our so-far implemented approach to teaching candidates to the nuclear technician profession.” – said Professor Ludwik Dobrzyński, Director of NCBJ Department of Education and Trainings, originator of the project – „Similar actions to be undertaken during the next semester will be devoted to two other professions, namely chemistry technician and electronics technician. Once the project is finished we will present its deliverables i.e. a comprehensive new programme of teaching sciences in high schools including nuclear-related topics. Such a programme is necessary to start/resume effective education of personnel capable to work in professions dealing with ionizing radiation: nuclear electronics technician, nuclear chemistry technician, nuclear power technician, nuclear technician. Currently used syllabuses of those subjects taught in vocational schools will have to be modified. It is worth pointing out that similar professionals will be urgently needed not only because of the planned development of nuclear power industry in Poland but also because of numerous other applications of nuclear technologies in science, industry and medicine”.

The “School for the Future” project value is 921,642 PLN. The project is co-funded by European Union within the Human Capital Operational Programme (priority IX Development of education and competencies in the regions, measure 9.2 Improvement of attractiveness and quality of vocational education) framework. Mazovia Voivodship Centre for Teachers’ Excellence is a partner of the project.

http://www.ncbj.gov.pl/en/node/3213