By Jade Floyd
March 20, 2006

Frenchtown (NJ) Mayor Ron Sworen welcomed Cities United for Science Progress (CUSP) at Frenchtown Elementary School February 21 for a Science in the School Day with 47 third and fourth grade students.

Located along the banks of the Delaware River, with a population of 1,500 residents, Frenchtown’s Science in the School Day enabled CUSP to reach every third and fourth grader in the town. Sworen even invited his neighboring 3rd and 4th graders from Milford (NJ) to join in the excitement. The students joined the mayor in the school cafeteria eager to build their “puff mobiles.” DuPont field engineer Marie Kniedler jumpstarted the afternoon activities with a fun, hands-on project exploring basic engineering principles.

Sworen engaged in an interactive question and answer session with students while emphasizing the importance of science education in each of the students’ lives. Sworen explained how everyday activities, like driving a car for NASCAR and sailing a sailboat, employ the use of math and science.

Sworen led the construction of the “puff mobiles” using everyday materials like drinking straws, lifesavers, scotch-tape, paper and paperclips. At the conclusion of the event children rushed to pre-made track where Sworen judged the “puff mobile” races between each of the students. Students scrambled across the cafeteria floor blowing away as their “puff mobiles” came closer and closer to crossing the finish line.

As the heats concluded, the first-place winners from Milford and Frenchtown prepared to race head-to-head. At this point, CUSP had to preside over the final race to ensure no favoritism from the home-teams mayor. It made little difference; the Frenchtown students blew ahead the competition as the mayor exhorted across the finish line. Frenchtown wins! The winning puff mobile was designed a group of student who after working individually, decided to combine the best efforts of each one of their individual designs to make one “super” puff mobile. The lesson they and the students learned about the scientific method was evident on the race course as the trial and error was most apparent in the winning mobile.

Sworen presented each student, from both cities, with an “Engineer for the Day” certificate at the end of the experiment and encouraged them to pursue careers in science. Students from Frenchtown Elementary took the time to write Sworen thoughtful notes thanking him for bringing the Science in the School Day to his town.

Sworen became mayor of Frenchtown Borough in 1996. He has served on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Conference of Mayors since 1999.

“We are grateful to Dupont and CUSP for providing this exciting opportunity to our school,” said Sworen. “Enabling our children to become more interested in science is imperative for their future as technology continues to advance every day. This program shows them the possibilities of careers in engineering and teaches them to explore new ideas,” he concluded.

CUSP is a partnership between The United States Conference of Mayors and DuPont. Through the $3 million Lead-Safe…for Kids’ Sake grant program more than 30 cities have received grants and the acclaimed Science in the School Day initiative has visited more than 50 cities with close to 13,000 elementary school children participating.

For more information on how to bring Science in the School Day to your city, contact CUSP Managing Director Jade Floyd at 202-466-7324 or send e-mail to jfloyd@usmayors.org.