SRS Education Outreach Goes Virtual, Impacting Thousands
Friday, August 20th, 2021
In just one month alone this year, Savannah River Nuclear Solution (SRNS) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) provided education outreach to more than 25,000 students and 410 educators.
SRNS has been sharing its diverse science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach pro- gram with local public and private schools since 2008, when it became the site’s management and operations contractor.
“Elementary school through college, the statistics over the years validate SRNS support for quality education throughout the region,” said Kim Mitchell, with SRNS Education Outreach Programs. “It’s truly an honor to assist and serve these amazing teachers and wonderful students who are the lifeblood of our future.”
To date, SRNS has provided more than $5 million for education outreach, supporting more than 275,000 students and teachers throughout seven counties near SRS.
ity technology and web-based apps will strongly and positively impact students and teachers,” Mitchell said. “And in time, when we return to business as usual, these tools will continue to reach a much broader group throughout the region than we’ve documented in the past.”
“We value the transformative commu- nity partnerships we have with orga- nizations like Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, and the 12 outreach pro- grams they provide that directly impact our faculty and students,” said King Laurence, Aiken County Public Schools Superintendent. “Whether it’s $1,000 mini-grants for teachers or dozens of scientists and engineers visiting our schools, we look forward to years of continued success with SRNS.”
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted SRNS to develop innovative methods and incorporate cutting-edge technol- ogy to reach students and educators, creating multiple virtual platforms for that audience.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) is creating a series of videos and learning resources for classroom learning in place of traditional field trips to the Savannah River Site. Kimberly Fickling, left, and Beth Eberhard, far right, with the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center at the University of South Carolina Aiken, are shown working on the video “Wet Wonders” with SRNS employee Brad Bohr, center
SRS virtual field trips showcase sci-
ence lessons about the site, targeting
students with educational content
specific to their grade levels. Some of
the field trip lessons help participants
determine the health of a pond, or as-
sist endangered species, such as the
red-cockaded woodpecker. Students
can also explore the inner workings of a mass spectrometer in a site laboratory. A highly sensitive piece of equipment allows laboratory personnel to separate individual components of a substance, resulting in the exact identification of each component and the amount present in the substance being tested.
“Feedback from educators and administrators affirm that the SRNS Education Outreach Program has been highly successful, significantly impacting school systems throughout South Carolina and the greater Augusta, Georgia area,” said Mitchell.
The SRNS STEM-intensive offerings include a traveling science demonstration program, workshops, tours, talks, demonstrations and other content.
Some programs test the depth of students’ knowledge and experience. They include the South Carolina Regional Science Fair, DOE Savannah River Regional Science Bowl and the Regional Future City Competition.
SRNS also offers annual mini-grants to area teachers through corporate funding. To date, SRNS has contributed more than $700,000 to support educators in the region.
To reach local adults pursuing higher education degrees, SRNS has signed memorandums of under- standing with local technical colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, and other four-year degree institutions such as the University of South Carolina Aiken.
