Graduate students and research associates at the JILA Center for AMO Physics visit local schools with hands-on science activities. These activities encourage students to explore concepts underlying research at JILA and reinforce the Colorado Content Standards for Science. Activities include (1) how light behaves, (2) the properties of waves, and (3) the characteristics of magnets, electromagnets, and electric circuits. Many activities emphasize the scientific method. For instance, students may build and characterize a pendulum or build cars using robotic legos, then determine the speed and acceleration of their cars. Elementary Students communicate what they learn by making a video.

JILA graduate students have visited Boulder Preparatory High School, Boulder High School, Fairview High School, Evergreen High School, Casey Middle School, and Lafayette Elementary School. The AMO center has supported an after-school science club at Casey Middle School, physics classes at Boulder Preparatory High School, lessons on electric circuits at Lafayette Elementary School, and a week of science camp for middle school students with the I Have a Dream Foundation.

Part of our outreach mission is to encourage young people who are traditionally underrepresented in science to explore a career in physics. We are working hard to establish long-term relationships with schools that have diverse student populations. If you know a group of students or school that would like to participate in the AMO center's outreach program, please contact the Outreach Coordinator. The JILA Center for AMO Physics hosts tours for local K–12 students and college students. Students visit a research lab and interact with the young scientists who work there. They tour the Instrument Shop and meet the skilled machinists involved in designing and constructing customized scientific apparatus. School groups that have toured JILA include the I Have a Dream Foundation summer camp, the honors physics class at Evergreen High School, the physics club of Fort Hays State University, the Colorado and Wyoming Junior Academy of Science, and a fourth grade class from Lafayette Elementary School. The JILA Center for AMO Physics hosts content workshops for science teachers. Working in small groups, teachers try hands-on activities while interacting with graduate students and research associates. The teachers gain a broad range of experiences with content they are interested in, while graduate students learn skills for communicating science to general audiences. To plan a workshop for science teachers, please contact the Outreach Coordinator.

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