Student Conference Spring 2003

Critical Issues Forum Engages International High School Students on WMD Issues

By Dr. Stephen C. Sesko
17 June 2003

Russian teachers Galina Romanova (blue) and Larisa Zlokazova and U.S. teacher Byron Stevens observe Russian students Liubov Pilsova, Ivan Drokin, Olga Soboleva, and Timofey Nazarenko and U.S. student Kaan Senaydin (right) in an interactive session on diplomatic intelligence.

Recently, 37 U.S. and 5 Russian high school students presented their research on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East and in South Asia at the third International Student-Teacher Conference of the Critical Issues Forum (CIF), sponsored by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS). The conference was held 2-3 May 2003 at the Casa Munras Hotel in Monterey, California. The topic for this conference was WMD in the Middle East and in South Asia. U.S. students and teachers from California, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington State, joined Russian students and teachers representing high schools in Lesnoy, Novouralsk, Sarov, Snezhinsk, and Zheleznogorsk, the "closed nuclear cities," which are centers of Russian nuclear research and development. Russian participation was coordinated by the Nuclear Cities Educational Information Center (NCEIC) in Novouralsk.

Joel Brown, Lewis and Clark High School Spokane, Washington, portraying U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Danila Nunez, also from Lewis and Clark, portraying Susan Sarandon, debate the Iraq war.

After months of preparation, the students gave a total of 17 final oral and poster presentations at the conference. These presentations covered a wide range of topics: limiting WMD in the Middle East, the role of nuclear weapons in both the Middle East and South Asia, critical counterpoints on the issues in these regions, and the role of propaganda in the disputes. There were several interactive games, including a board game on the Middle East peace process and hands-on forensic investigations of terrorist incidents.

In addition, specialists from CNS and from MIIS either gave background presentations on the two areas or led lively question and answer sessions. The Russian students, who worked intensively with their teachers to develop their skills at public speaking in English, all gave traditional "lecture" presentations. Russian schools from Sarov , Lesnoy, and other nuclear cities illustrated these talks with PowerPoint slides. The U.S. students received these presentations enthusiastically and gave some of them standing ovations. Most of the American presentations, by contrast, made heavy use of multimedia. Several presentations featured video shot or edited by the students, and Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Washington used satirical videos to illustrate issues surrounding the recent war in Iraq.

CIF leader, Dr. Stephen Sesko, presents the CNS Certificate of Accomplishment to Clabe Webb, teacher from Sterling City High School, Sterling City, Texas, and his students.

"The impact on kids was unbelievable," said Robert Malone of Travis High School in Austin, Texas. "Our students were able to go around and educate other kids on campus because they participated in this project." A Russian teacher said that high school students have a lack of information about these issues, and "teaching kids analytical skills is especially important in Russia, since until the 1990s people preferred to keep silent and not think critically." Robert Lawry from Stockton, California said, "It's stuff that's happening now, not like the 1800s. I feel involved in it."

Nonproliferation Education in International High Schools

Dr. Stephen Sesko presents Marty Robinette, Lewis and Clark High School, Spokane, Washington with a certificate for five years of participation in CIF. Also receiving certificates were Sue Ann Dobbyn and Del Cates, San Andres High School, Mesilla, New Mexico, and Bob Shayler, San Leandro High School, San Leandro, California.

The CNS CIF, a unique international program supported by the Compton Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Cities Initiative, brings nonproliferation experts together with high school teachers and students to study the spread of WMD and methods to stop their spread. The program currently reaches teachers and students in the United States, England, and Russia. The yearlong program begins with a summer teacher workshop in Monterey for curriculum development, and continues with a winter conference, preparing teachers to present the curriculum.

The objective of the curriculum is to promote awareness of nonproliferation and disarmament issues while helping students to develop critical thinking skills. The activities developed by the CNS experts and teachers are designed to appeal to a wide range of learning styles and interests. Students investigate the topic under the teachers' direction and exchange preliminary versions of their final projects through the Critical Issues Forum website maintained at CNS. Finally, teachers invite the top students to present their projects at an international student-teacher conference held in the spring. This forum gives students the opportunity to present and exchange the results of their exploration of nonproliferation issues, to hold discussions with leading experts in nonproliferation and arms control, and to join an informed and active international student community for nonproliferation, disarmament, and arms control.

While this year's conference focused on the Middle East and South Asia, students participating in previous conferences have studied Terrorism in the Nuclear World, Proliferation and Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Disposition of Nuclear Materials, Proliferation of Chemical and Biological Weapons and Terrorism, and Missiles and Missile Defense Systems.

Making It Personal through Interactive Learning

In February and March, 2003, CIF directors, Dr. Stephen C. Sesko and Dr. Fred Wehling visited three schools participating in the 2002-2003 Critical Issues Forum: Medina Valley High School in Castroville, Texas; San Andres High School in Mesilla, a suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico; and the Atlanta International School in Atlanta, Georgia.

There are sharp contrasts among these three schools. Atlanta International is an independent school where parents make a significant financial investment. San Andres is a public alternative school where students must apply to enter. The percentage of free or assisted meals is high. Medina Valley is in a rural area about an hour from San Antonio. This is a typical mid-size public school, in an economically poor area, but not all of the students who are eligible for assistance apply for it.

Sesko and Wehling learned that rural schools are an area in which CIF can really have an impact. Because of their distance from urban centers and the amenities available there, rural students receive little special attention, especially in terms of school visits. CIF not only had an impact on the students, but also on the parents and the community. A student from Medina Valley (it is the policy of CIF to not give names of students who are under 18 years of age) said, "CIF has given us a chance to open our minds and participate in deep perusal of the subject of weapons of mass destruction." Col. Robert N. Handcock (Ret.), the mayor of the town was also impressed. "The program has proven to be extremely beneficial to the students," he said. "I work closely with the school and I have first-hand knowledge of the importance of this outstanding program."

Air Force Junior ROTC cadets at the CIF conference. Left Summer Yarbrough and Paul Danna from Medina Valley High School, Castroville, Texas. Right Angelina Catlett and Adel Moustafa from Highland High School, Palmdale, California.

The CIF has also shown it can motivate otherwise uninterested students or students with learning difficulties. At Atlanta International, an Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) student "just shines" in CIF class, according to his teacher, Laura Sockol. In Medina Valley, students in the Air Force Junior ROTC participated in CIF. Before the current commander, Col. Robert Dzur, came to the school, school administrators had been sending difficult students to the JROTC program. Dzur has changed this; JROTC students are now leaders in the extracurricular and academic area of the school. Col. Dzur pointed out one student who works extremely hard on CIF Benchmarks, but only coasts by in other classes. This student said, "I think that the Critical Issues Forum is a wonderful way to better involve students in key world issues. It has developed a better understanding for me about my surroundings, my friends, my family, and my country and though they may be on the other side of the planet the effect of current world actions in Iraq and Israel."

The face-to-face contact that the directors had with the students had a positive effect on the work they do in the program. One student said, "It was a good opportunity to get exactly what we needed to know about conducting our CIF project." Another student added, "The combination of Dr. Wehling's content knowledge about weapons of mass destruction along with Dr. Sesko's analyzation [sic] of proper procedures was among the better benefits of our program."

Reactions at the Atlanta International School were also very positive. One student, who also took part in the Spring Conference, said, "This class, if anything, has given me a true reason to fear WMD, though set apart from the myths conceived in the media. By confronting a wide range of perspectives and the full extent of information, I have been able to develop my own views and draw my own conclusions." Another student commented, "Having the professors visit was extremely beneficial because listening to them stopped me from getting into a rut of boredom by instead showing what possibilities lay open after the initial research."

Russian teachers and students with Monterey docents in period costume in front of San Carlos Cathedral, the starting point for their walking tour of historic Monterey.

In Russia, NCEIC provided training for participating teachers in a special workshop held in Novouralsk in January 2003. In addition to directing students' research on WMD, the CIF program includes cultural exchanges and other activities to enhance the learning experience for Russian students. While the teachers were in Monterey, the five Russian students were housed in dormitories at the Robert Louis Stevenson School in Pebble Beach. This allowed the young Russians several days to become acclimated to using English, meet Americans, and become more familiar with life in America. They also had the opportunity to sit in on classes in English, history, mathematics, and other subjects. Meanwhile, the Russian teachers met with CNS research staff and received computer training from long-time CIF teacher and webmaster Bob Shayler. Other activities for Russian visitors included a walking tour of Monterey and excursions to Big Sur and San Francisco.

Expanding the Program

Teachers who are interested in teaching classes on nonproliferation need not feel limited by their field of study. This kind of curriculum is easily adaptable to a wide variety of educational settings. It has been taught in high school science classes, in history and current events classes, and as part of the high school Junior ROTC curriculum. It has been taught as an accredited class, as a project within an accredited class, as an independent study project, and as an after-school club.

The support of school administrations and parents is crucial. In some cases community support comes readily. For example, in 2001, JROTC cadets at Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, California were easily able to enlist the support and expertise of the local fire and police departments in their discussion of local response to a hypothetical chemical or biological incident near their school. San Andres High School, an alternative school in Mesilla, New Mexico, incorporated the material into a beginning forensics class. ROTC classes in Texas and California enlisted local military personnel in their research on missiles and missile defense. For the past three years, current issues classes at Lewis and Clark High School have interviewed their local Congressman on issues related to WMD and homeland security.

Plans for the Future

In 2003-2004, CNS hopes to engage high schools in Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and Korea to join the U.S. and Russian schools in exploring the complex and urgent topic of Nuclear Issues in Northeast Asia. The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) will provide additional support for CIF in the coming academic year, and efforts to develop further educational and funding partnerships are ongoing.

One of the best descriptions of the impact CIF can have on student learning and awareness of WMD issues comes from teacher Sue Ann Jones-Dobbyn of San Andres High School: "Three of my former CIF students wrote to me following the 9/11 attack. One said she just wanted to write and thank me for encouraging her to take the Critical Issues Forum class. 'Its value became clear to me during the recent sad events in New York. Although I am still horrified at what happened I understand the underlying problems of religion, culture, and history better than any of my college friends.'" CNS and its partners will continue to develop the Critical Issues forum as a unique program for reaching an important but underserved audience for nonproliferation education.

http://www.criticalissuesforum.org/conf_s03.html
updated 06 February 2005