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Suburban Advertiser – July 24, 2003
GlaxoSmithKline’s Summer Program
Sparks Children's Interest in Science
By Julia Ricciuti
The password to get into last Tuesday’s class at Exton’s Chester County Library was magnetism. Avon Grove School District teacher Tim O’Leary requested that his class of 13 students, in grades fourth through sixth, say the word before entering to learn about electrical charges, circuits and magnets.
This and similar classes are being sponsored jointly by GlaxoSmithKline and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), throughout Philadelphia area’s five counties. The program is called the GlaxoSmithKline Science in the Summer program.
The classes took place in Chester County’s library from July 7 to July 10, in two morning classes and two afternoon classes. Accommodating more than 800 second through sixth grade students in Chester County, the program’s objective is to bring science to students outside the confines of a regular classroom.
“Every summer it’s a great job,” said O’Leary, talking about his involvement in the program for the past three summers. “It’s hands-on science and they’re doing the learning through hands-on activities,” he said, talking about the students who are broken up into one-hour classes based on their grade levels. O’Leary can’t speak more highly of the program. “It’s an awesome way for kids to learn. We are supplied with all kinds of materials to make our jobs the easiest.”
Chester County Library System’s Head of Youth Services, Jeanne Clancy Watkins, said the program has really become a team effort among GlaxoSmithKline, who foots the bill, teachers, library staff, parents and the students. This year, GlaxoSmithKline gave a $23,000 grant for Chester County to the AAAS, the organization that implements the program in schools.
“GlaxoSmithKline gives a budget to each county, so I get a check in the spring that will cover our expenses,” said Clancy Watkins, saying that the amount covers the teachers’ salary. There are no cost to the students, but they must be entered into a lottery for admittance into the classes because there’s a limited space.
The Science in Summer program covers all five Philadelphia area counties, including Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Clancy Watkins has witnessed the success of the program over the past several years.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. It’s incredible because the kids get to do phenomenal hands-on science at no cost to their parents,” she said. Clancy Watkins said that 90 children will go through the program at Exton’s branch of the Chester County Library, and roughly 870 children will attend the program countywide.
“It really does spark their interest, and it’s really wonderful that they get excited about different topics,” she said, laughing with O’Leary about using the word spark. Talking about this summer’s topic, which is physical science, the word came into play a lot during the week’s classes. Last summer’s topic was, said Clancy Watkins, oceanography.
O’Leary said he has every intention of teaching again next summer, and he advertises his involvement in the program as much as possible. “I tell people about this all the time,” he said proudly.
“There are teachers out there who’ve taught this program for 17 years, so a lot of original teachers are still out there,” said Clancy Watkins. “It’s a program that, once teachers are involved they really want to stick with it. It’s a great summer job.”
According to Betty Calinger, program director at the AAAS, this year marks the program’s 17th year. Talking about teachers such as O’Leary, she said that there are many others who are just as animated and skilled at working with the children. “They each offer their own twist to the program,” said Calinger, referring to teaching styles of the many teachers throughout the five-county area who are involved with the program. Five teachers teach the program in Chester County.
In class, the students enjoyed testing circuits and racing cars, using magnets to propel them forward. Helping them with their projects were library pages Cherie Freeman and Geoff Rhizor. Freeman who is a graduate of Penn State, hopes to teach science in the near future. She’s been working with children at GlaxoSmithKline’s program for the past five summers. Rhizor is going into his freshman year at Boston University this fall, and he’s been involved with this program for the past three years.
O’Leary instructed the children to break off into groups to race their magnetized cars in preparation for an overall dual between the class’s top two racers. He called it the Magnetism 500, and the children named their individual racing machines. The children’s excitement was obvious as they yelled and cheered during the final race.
Clancy Watkins said the experience is powerful for the children because it’s a different environment from the classrooms they are used to being in during the school year. “The woman who started it [program], one of her commitments was to have it in libraries. They don’t want to make it like school.
Reprinted with permission from the Suburban Advertiser
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