National press finds much to praise in the success of the Open Discovery Space and Inspiring Science Education Summer Academies 2016

The success of the Open Discovery Space (http://ods.ea.gr/) and Inspiring Science Education Summer Academies 2016 (http://ise.ea.gr/) was recorded in two separate extensive articles in Greece’s two largest dailies.

In his piece titled “A creative gathering of teachers” in the Greek daily Kathimerini (9/07/2016 http://www.kathimerini.gr/866871/article/epikairothta/ellada/dhmioyrgikh-synanthsh-ekpaideytikwn ), Apostolos Lakasas paid particular attention to comments by participants on how the Academy has helped “feel part of a strong learning community that shares knowledge and creativity”.

In another piece titled “Let me introduce you to Mr Nobel Prize” in the Greek daily To Vima (15/07/2016) http://www.tovima.gr/society/article/?aid=815514, the authors focused on an ISE Academy event, in which Professor William Bardeen, former director of the Theoretical Physics Division at Fermilab and Dr Margaret Bardeen, head of the Education Program and Communications of Fermilab presented the two Nobel prizes that John Bardeen (1908-1991), William's father, was awarded. John Bardeen is the only researcher who received the Nobel Prize in Physics twice. The first was in 1956 for the discovery of the transistor (along with William Shockley and Walter Brattain) and the second in 1972 for the formulation of the theory of superconductivity (along with Leon N Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer). The actual medals were presented to the public alongside a model of the first transistor. William and Margaret Bardeen were accompanied by 20 teachers from the US who were offered the opportunity to participate in this training course through grants from the US National Science Foundation.

The Summer Teacher Training Academies were organized by Ellinogermaniki Agogi in Marathon Attica from the 3^rd to 15^th of July 2016. The teachers attended lectures by distinguished scientists, participated in workshops, made virtual visits to major research centers such as CERN in Geneva and the ICECUBE Neutrino Telescope at the South Pole, observed the night sky with telescopes and worked with innovative educational tools.

Stay tuned for more info on next year’s (2017) ISE and ODS Summer Academies.