Inquiry for Inspiration: The Students on the Beamlines Program at the Canadian Light Source

The Canadian Light Source (CLS) is Canada's national synchrotron radiation facility. The CLS mission statement includes a mandate to “participate actively in educational, social and cultural development of our communities.” Over 6,000 people annually, more than half of them school children, tour the CLS. This is facilitated by the design of the building, which has a mezzanine affording panoramic views of the accelerators and experimental floor (see Figure 1). CLS staff have presented to more than a thousand educators through various professional development sessions, and for these educators classroom resource material is made available for easy inclusion in daily lessons where possible. The CLS also hosts an annual workshop for teachers where, since 2006, more than one hundred teachers have spent several days at CLS becoming familiar with the facility.