National Student Leadership Training Conference
June 26, July 6, and July 24, 2009
For the fourth consecutive year, the students participating in UC Berkeley's National Student Leadership Council will be visiting the nees@berkeley laboratories to learn about earthquake engineering. This group of outstanding high school students comes to Berkeley from high schools around the country to experience life on a college campus, develop essential leadership skills, and explore future career options that are available through university study.
This year's program consists of four main elements. The first element is a presentation that will teach the students about earthquake science and engineering including: basic information about earthquakes including plate tectonics and earthquake fault types, discussion about professions that address the effects of earthquakes on our communities and buildings, and teaching key building systems and components that help buildings resist earthquake shaking safely.
Second, the students will be given materials for a hands on activity. For this activity the students (in groups) will be given a kit that contains materials for the design and construction of their own small earthquake-resistant building models. Once their designs are complete the students will have the opportunity to test their structures on a small earthquake simulator. When their models are put to the real test on the shaking table, they will see if they properly designed and implemented their earthquake resisting elements.
The third element of the program is a video session where the students will be able to view past experiments and tests conducted in the laboratory. Through these videos they will also see various faculty members explaining how their research applies to the development of design codes and the earthquake safety of the built environment.
Finally, they will receive a full tour of the nees@berkeley laboratory as well as the adjacent PEER earthquake simulator laboratory. The laboratory staff will explain and demonstrate the functions of the equipment found in the lab and describe how it is used to conduct research experiments.
This program is scheduled for all three sessions of the NSLC Program at UC Berkeley and will be held at the nees@berkeley laboratory on June 26, July 6 and July 24, 2009.
