Thirty-four Allendale, Bamberg and Orangeburg high school teachers received $25,000 in Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) mini grants. These funds will benefit more than 4,000 students attending schools near the Savannah River Site (SRS).

This new outreach initiative by SRNS further develops their employment pipeline by providing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classroom materials and equipment to area educators.

Sean Alford, SRNS Executive Vice President and Chief of Administration, noted that for decades, SRNS has been providing mini grants to elementary and middle school teachers throughout the region. “In fact, more than $700,000 has been contributed to date through this highly valued program,” he said.

“As a company, we value a diverse workforce and representation from all the counties surrounding SRS.
With approval of recent missions, such as the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, we believe that SRNS can help create a viable workforce by promoting student achievement in areas close to the site,” added Alford.

Using the grants, teachers can purchase equipment, computer programs, hands-on kits and other products to enhance their students’ performance and STEM learning experience.

“On behalf of the Building Construction class at the Orangeburg Career and Technology Center, I along with my students want to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for being awarded a mini grant from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions,” said Tracey Scoville, Certified National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Instructor. “This grant will enable me to purchase personal protective equipment

and tools that will be used to create an individual toolbox for each student, which will eliminate the risk of contamination, ensuring the safety of all students and instructors. These tools will be used to construct various projects that will develop their skills as they pursue their NCCER Certification.”

Shawn Foster, Ph.D., Ed.D., Superintendent, Orangeburg County School District expressed his appreciation to SRNS for expanding the Mini Grants program to include public schools in Orangeburg County. “Orangeburg’s teachers responded to this opportunity with tremendous enthusiasm, and I couldn’t be more excited to watch as the $19,250 in funding SRNS awarded our teachers impacts special projects in classrooms, across grade levels and throughout our schools.”

SRNS Education Outreach programs use unique SRS resources to significantly increase interest in STEM while supporting improvements in education. The SRNS management team believes the business, industry, government and the academic community should partner to improve opportunities for all local students.