February was STEM month for the National Energy Technology Laboratory. NETL hosted regional Science Bowls in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, and NETL’s Albany staff participated in Family Science & Engineering Night at Santiam Christian School in Corvallis, Ore.

NETL’s Circe Verba, Scott Montross, Casey Carney, Roy Miller, and Jesse Garcia joined 30 other organizations at the Santiam Christian family science night Feb. 22, 2018, to promote STEM educational opportunities. The NETL team wowed students and parents alike with hands-on science demonstrations including soda volcanoes, geographical information science (GIS) tutorials, and a station for human-powered power generation – by pedaling a bicycle.

Ken Mechling of NETL’s Office of Science and Technology Career Management said participating in these events builds strong partnerships within the local community and fosters innovation.

“NETL proactively develops and supports education initiatives at all levels, and we see it as our responsibility to encourage students to get excited about STEM at an early age. Community events like this are a great opportunity to build relationships while getting kids engaged in science and math. We also get a chance to show parents how they can cultivate their children’s interest in these important fields,” Mechling said.   

Participating in community events, such as Santiam’s Family Science & Engineering Night is just one of the ways NETL fosters innovation and educates the next generation of researchers, engineers and scientists. Read more about NETL’s education outreach efforts and opportunities here: https://www.netl.doe.gov/about/education