By Ellen H. King
March 3, 2003

Mount Vernon (NY) Mayor Ernest Davis joined DuPont field engineer David Anderson and a classroom of elementary school students at Graham School, to host a Cities United for Science Progress (CUSP) "Science in the School Day" in December. Mayor Davis invited CUSP, a partnership of The U.S. Conference of Mayors and DuPont, to assist him in emphasizing the importance of science education in the lives of some of Mount Vernon's youngest residents.

Davis began the morning of science exploration by involving the participating students in an encouraging discussion on the value of a good education and the necessity of staying in school. Anderson shared his own experiences in school and his successful educational path to becoming an engineer.

"By having a young, enthusiastic engineer in the classroom with students, we are able to provide an avenue for students to realize the value of education in achieving their dreams," commented Davis. "We are most grateful to The U.S. Conference of Mayors and DuPont for coming to Mount Vernon and bringing the program to one of our local elementary schools."

The "Gumdrop Dome" experiment conducted challenged students to create dome shaped structures with toothpicks and gumdrops. The students, along with Mayor Davis, 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 Davis, were able to engage Mount Vernon school children in the exploration of science, mathematics and engineering in an effort to spark an interest in these essential subjects," he added.

"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 to revive an interest in science."

CUSP works with mayors across the country to bring similar programs to cities nationwide. To learn more about the CUSP partnership, please contact CUSP Managing Director Ellen H. King by phone at 202-861-6791 or by e-mail at eking@usmayors.org.