Testimonials: Why They Are Friends

FFSE is fortunate in having many longtime supporters who renew their memberships year after year. We decided to ask a few of these longtime Friends why they consider it worthwhile to support science education in this way. Here are their thoughts:

I have attended many programs for teachers around the country. Sometimes just attending, sometimes presenting. Most programs were top down. Teachers were invited in and given something that college profs or educators thought they needed or were lacking. Fermilab Friends for Science Education first asked the teachers what THEY wanted, ran needs assessments WITH teachers, and trusted teachers to set up and run the programs. In other words, it was teachers teaching teachers. Fermilab Friends for Science Education was on the cutting edge of technology training, cross-curricular work and helping set up teacher alliance groups. It helped develop a renaissance in my teaching career. My hope is that it will continue to do so with other teachers in the future.
— Lee Marek, retired chemistry teacher, Naperville North High School

Science greatly influences the lives we live and the decisions we make—as individuals, as nations and as the world. FFSE provides teachers and students with the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a scientist, teaching them to ask the right questions and to find the right solutions. It is an investment in the future of our society.
— Kurt Riesselman, public affairs editor, Fermilab

Fermilab Friends has a record of providing high-quality, innovative programs for teachers and students. Unlike many programs and school curricula, these emphasize the process and nature of science and are developed by teachers working with scientists. As a research lab, Fermilab is in a unique position to provide these programs, but it requires supplemental funding to develop and support them. FFSE, as a non-profit, can apply for grants and solicit members and provide this additional support.
— Liz Quigg, web/multimedia developer, Fermilab

I support Fermilab Friends for Science Education because Marge Bardeen is one of the most sensible people I know, and the aims of the education programs at Fermilab are impeccable.
— Andreas Kronfeld, physicist, Fermilab