PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION:
FINDING COMMON GROUND IN A POLARIZED DEBATE

          The Nuclear Age is fertile ground for miscommunication, fear, and polarized debate.  Adults in a variety of groups, whether pro or anti nuclear, often lose sight of the larger picture and pursue narrowly defined interests.  In the interest of stimulating communication that would take a fresh look at the nuclear legacy, we asked knowledgable individuals from the Hanford community to present their ideas to young students and then asked the students to decide what of these ideas was meaningful to them.  We also asked them to consider what they would like to communicate to about Hanford to students in other parts of the world and to future generations.  Their interpretations of the material will comprise a section of the Time Capsule Web Site.  Innovative approaches to a polarized debate must start somewhere: we believe that students are a good group to begin with.

Presentations
           Third, fourth and fifth grade students at Amistad Elementary School in Kennewick, Washington, USA participated in four presentations in the spring of 1997.  Richland, Washington, USA artist Philip E. Harding gave a presentation on the role of art and the place of  value in a cross-cultural context.  Former Hanford professional John Rector, representing the B Reactor Museum Association, spoke to students about the history of the nuclear facility and the role of technology in society.  Moses Dicks Squeoch, a member of the Yakama Indian Nation, shared aspects of his perspectives on life as an American Indian.  Finally, Amistad teacher Jane Midgett presented her experiences of an April trip to the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan.

Oral History
           Amistad students were asked to conduct an oral history interview with an older adult who lived in the Hanford area.  Upon completion, the cassette tapes of these interviews were reviewed for historically relevant information for use in classroom learning.  The interviews were also made available to the public. 

Hanford Time Capsule Web Site "Unveiling"
          On April 25th the Time Capsule team spent the day at Amistad school.  Team Leader Brian  Freer led a series of discussions with teachers and students.  Team members were impressed with the level of learning and the integration of information articulated by students at Amistad. 
           Three topics were discussed with the students: their interpretation of the material conveyed to them by presenters; lessons learned in the process of undertaking an individual oral history project; and student's ideas for form and content of their section of the Time Capsule Web Site.
            On April 26th the public was invited to Amistad school for the unveiling of the Time Capsule Web Site in a brand new computer resource room.  The unveiling was well attended by students, parents, local media, and members of the interested public.  Stories on the event were reported in the local newspaper and on television news.  Drawings were held for limited edition tee-shirts designed by Hanford artist Warren Dykeman.  The shirts were a smash hit with the students.