Savannah River Nuclear Solutions scientists and engineers recently engaged students and peaked their academic curiosity during this year’s Science Enrichment Day at Aiken’s Millbrook Elementary School near the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, SC.

According to Gladys Moore, SRNS Education Outreach, these employees chose to use their day off to touch the lives of as many Millbrook students as possible, creatively providing a wide variety of STEMbased (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) hands-on activities.

The students of Diane Hyatt’s kindergarten class were enthralled when challenged to create a battery operated windmill made of Legos.

“I think it’s incredible that SRS is partnering with us, bringing science and math to our students in a whole new light, enabling them to see the careers that involve these fields. They were extremely excited
about what we were learning,” said Hyatt.

Savannah River National Laboratory scientist Fabienne Johnson explained that this event provides an opportunity to share her knowledge with the students and have a positive impact on their lives. “It’s really cool to see the way their eyes light up and experience their enthusiasm,” she said.

From slime and magnets to dancing spiders and the science of fire, the topics experienced were as diverse and energizing as the delight and creativity displayed by the students.

“I think it’s really great that people from SRS came here today to help us and tell us what they do,” said
Fifth Grade student Dakota Cullum.

“This has all been interesting,” added fifth-grader Ryan Crapse. “We got to incorporate science into
something fun, play with stuff called ‘slime’ and learn about internet safety.”

For many years, the U.S. has ranked low among economically developed nations regarding students proficient in science, technology, engineering and math.

Moore believes Aiken County Public Schools officials are steadily doing their part as demonstrated with
the success of the Science Enrichment Day program. “And, we’re here to help in any way we can at
SRS,” she added. “We all benefit from programs like this event.”

The primary goal of the SRNS Educational Outreach organization is to enhance interest in STEM-based
education and to support improvements in education in the Central Savannah River Area by using the
unique resources available at the Savannah River Site.