National Museum of Nuclear Science and History brings free STEM kits to the classroom

FARMINGTON, N.M. – The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History is doing its part to make sure everyone has opportunities for STEM education. 

“STEM education is tremendously important for everybody. Realistically, students who are closer to large municipal areas have greater opportunities just because of the way the geographics work out,” said Gabriel Nemiroff, director of Education for the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.

For the students that live too far to take a field trip to the Nuclear Science and History Museum, the museum has decided to bring the learning to them for free.

“We wanted to try to figure out a way to reach a broader audience, and specifically to reach the Native American community. I think in large part because Native American communities are often in distant or rural locations, and it can be very difficult for communities that are far away to make long trips, especially school field trips, to come to Albuquerque, to come to the museum,” said Nemiroff.

Nemiroff says you have to start with the important tools, including a Geiger counter, a cloud chamber visualizing radiation kit, and a binder full of activities.

“It includes things like modeling different isotopes so that students can understand what an isotope is. We want students to be able to understand how radiation exists in nature and how it reacts in nature,” said Nemiroff. 

The way to do that is to bring science to students and teachers who wouldn’t normally get that engagement.

“Nuclear science is one of the standards that is in the science curriculum for high school here in New Mexico, it, and it’s a pretty complex topic,” said Nemiroff. “For whom hitting that standard in their classroom and introducing that topic to their students might really be challenging. So we wanted to make that a little bit easier for teachers to do.”

Nemirfroff says supplies are limited and going fast. Teachers wanting kits can visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History website.