The entrance to the new "ALICE School" in Prévessin-Moëns. (Image: Virginia Greco/CERN)
On Saturday, 11 March, a primary school named “ALICE” was inaugurated in the village of Prévessin-Moëns in neighbouring France. The name was chosen by the municipal council as a tribute to the ALICE experiment at CERN, “which is contributing to a better understanding of the origin of the universe”.
The aim of the council members was to introduce young children to the fascinating world of science and to familiarise them with the research carried out next door at CERN. Some of the installations of our Laboratory are indeed located within the commune of Prévessin-Moëns and many inhabitants of the village work at CERN.
The name also brings to mind the famous tale of Alice in Wonderland, a young girl driven by curiosity and a thirst for discovery. The choice of a female name was also relevant because it brings to the forefront the importance of nurturing girls’ interest in science and encouraging them to study its disciplines.
The event, which saw the participation of many pupils of the school accompanied by their parents, as well as other inhabitants of the village, was organised by scientists of the ALICE experiment and staff from CERN’s Education, Communications and Outreach group, who volunteered to offer play-and-learn workshops for children. Attendees even got the chance to peek at the real ALICE detector thanks to a live video link with the underground cavern.
This article is based on a longer piece in ALICE matters.