IEEE Symposium on Radiation Measurements and Applications

An upcoming conference in the Bay Area

Traveling With Children?

Child Care

There are no childcare arrangements made by the Symposium or the University. However a not-for-profit organization called Bananas is widely suggested as a referral agency for qualified child care in the area.

IEEE-NPSS Child Care Reimbursement Grants

A limited amount of child care reimbursement is available per conference, thanks to the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society. Attendees may apply for reimbursement, not to exceed $400 per family, and subject to a per-conference overall cap. Please write to us if you would like the forms.

Reimbursement is provided postconference after receipts and an expense report have been submitted. The deadline is one week after the conference. Allowable expenses include:

  • Babysitting or child-care expenses at the conference location while parent(s) attend sessions. (Note: SORMA West 2016 and Clark Kerr Campus do not have any childcare facilities or activities onsite; attendees would have to arrange this on their own).
  • Additional babysitting or child-care expenses incurred in leaving children home while parent(s) attend the conference.
  • Transportation expenses for a childcare provider (e.g., an adult or relative who does not live with you) to care for children during the conference.

Eligible applicants include families where both parents are registered attendees at the conference, a parent (registered attendee) who brings children to the conference, or a parent (registered attendee) who incurs additional expenses at home (above their normal child-care expenses) while attending the conference.

Activities

The area offers many fun and educational activities for our younger future scientists. Here are some suggestions.

Lawrence Hall of Science:
Can’t Get to Outer Space? Here’s Space Coming Right At You!

JourneyToSpace_200x126y In the hills above Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and just a taxi or bus ride from the campus area, is the Lawrence Hall of Science. This interactive, kid-friendly museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The scenery may be worth the trip all by itself! Snake_200x134y

One of the prime attractions at LHS in the SORMA timeframe will be the Journey to Space 3-D movie. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, it’s sure to be an engaging experience. The movie is $4 in addition to LHS admission. Also on the schedule (weekends only) are the Design Quest workshop and, for the budding life scientist, the ever popular Animal Discovery Center and Critter Corner. Photos courtesy Lawrence Hall of Science

Tilden Park:
Uphill From Us, the Jewel of the Easy Bay Parks District

Adjacent to the bustling city is a little something wild: Tilden Park, east of the ridgeline in the hills above the campus. There you’ll find everything from a golf course, to a native-plants garden, to children’s favorites such as a rideable steam train and a merry-go-round, to beautiful, hikeable open space and lots of it. The AC Transit #67 bus line provides public-transit access to Tilden’s central features from downtown Berkeley, though a car is a more practical way to get to other parts of this extensive park, including the steam-trains area.

Chabot Space and Science Center:
Whether Terran, Lunar, or Martian, The Sky’s the Limit

chabotspace_nebulacolors_174x150y An eight mile taxi ride from the hotel takes you to Chabot Space and Science Center. That’s pretty cheap cabfare considering that the destinations include the furthest reaches of the cosmos. Catch up on the latest discoveries about “Magical, Mythical, Muddy Mars,” consider humankind’s past and future on the Moon, see the skies through the eyes of the ancient Mayans, or get hands-on with the closest planet — our own — at Bill Nye’s Climate Lab. If you remember Chabot from the SORMA West 2008 dinner event, come see what’s new!

Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Check their events calendar for more details. Photo courtesy Chabot Space & Science Center

Attractions and Activities in San Francisco

Across the Bay in San Francisco are many fun and educational things to do with your kids.

More Resources

510 Families, named after the area code of the East Bay (the Five-One-Oh), has ideas on fun activities and other family matters.