Nearly 200 scouts from the Calumet Council of the Boy Scouts of America earned science and engineering merit badges last month at Argonne-East.
"This group of scouts is just the beginning," said Harold Myron, director of the Division of Educational Programs.
"We are making similar programs available to other scout troops -- boys and girls -- in the Chicago area. It fits in perfectly with Argonne's mission to further science education among the nation's youth."
Eight Argonne scientists and researchers taught day-long sessions in atomic energy, chemistry, computers, electricity, electronics, energy, engineering and geology. Each class had up to 25 scouts.
The main classroom for future scout groups will be Argonne's new Learning Lab, a classroom specially created for hands-on science learning for Chicago-area students from kindergarten through the 12th grade. The Learning Lab is located in the Argonne Information Center.
The classes were organized by Argonne's Division of Educational Programs and Argonne's Office of Public Affairs, working with Scoutmaster Dick Combs, who also happens to be a manager in Argonne's Industrial Technology Development Center.
"In addition to earning badges for our scouts," Combs said, "we're also hoping to interest scouts in careers in science and engineering. We find that many scouts tend to avoid earning these merit badges because they're difficult to earn, and they aren't required."