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.