By Ellen H. King
January 20, 2003

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak joined DuPont field engineer Matt Jensen and a classroom of 2nd and 3rd grade students at North Star School to host a Cities United for Science Progress (CUSP) Science in the School Day, November 25. Mayor Rybak invited CUSP, a partnership of The U.S. Conference of Mayors and DuPont, to assist the mayor in emphasizing the importance of science education in the lives of some of Minneapolis' youngest residents.

Science in the School Day is a part of the CUSP partnership designed to encourage students in their exploration of science and engineering. CUSP visits cities across the country bringing similar initiatives to cities nationwide.

"We are excited to have a partnership that benefits children who are the future of our cities," said Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran. "CUSP serves as a useful tool for teachers, students and children across the country and helps revive an interest in science."

Together, Mayor Rybak, DuPont's Jensen of Fort Madison, (IA) and the school children performed an experiment displaying basic engineering theories, allowing the children to grasp general concepts of engineering through a fun and understandable approach. The students left the event with not only an increased knowledge of elementary engineering, but also a heightened interest in science and math.

The experiment conducted, called the "Gumdrop Dome," challenged students to create dome shaped structures with toothpicks and gumdrops. The students, along with Mayor Rybak, tested the dome theory by layering heavy schoolbooks on their dome-shaped creations and were amazed by how much weight toothpicks and gumdrops are able to hold while in the shape of a dome.

"A diverse pool of talented engineers is required for our company and country to remain competitive in a rapidly changing global market," said Mary Kate Campbell, Manager of Public Affairs at DuPont. "Together, our field engineer and Mayor Rybak, were able to engage Minneapolis school children in the exploration of science, mathematics and engineering in an effort to spark an interest in these essential subjects."