DOE has been increasing its STEM and workforce content at the Waste Management Symposia (WMS) year after year. With nearly 2,200 attendees at this year’s symposia in Phoenix, STEM activities reached a much wider audience. Staff from the Offices of Environmental Management (EM), Legacy Management (LM), and Nuclear Energy (NE) shared promising practices in STEM education and workforce development through technical presentations, panel discussions, and participation in the interactive STEM Zone based in the event’s exhibit hall.

In support of workforce development, EM’s Kristen Ellis, Senior Advisor for STEM and Talent Acquisition, and Melinda Higgins, NE’s Director of STEM Programs, moderated a panel discussion sponsored by Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) titled, “The Future of Workforce Training: A Whole of DOE Approach.” Additionally, EM leadership participated in a speed networking event for early career professionals, providing mentorship for the participants, and staff met with graduate students from the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation to provide career advice and support their new mentorship program with EM officials. Kim Petry, NE’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition, participated in a panel titled, “A Government Perspective: Prioritizing STEM to Achieve the Mission.” These events gave staff the opportunity to engage with young professionals, and discuss DOE’s ongoing work in developing a diverse, innovative workforce.

For the first time, WMS produced a STEM calendar, populated with artwork by children from EM’s Oak Ridge and Hanford communities, as well as the UK Sellafield community. LM collaborated in STEM Zone planning and helped staff the booth in the exhibit hall. In addition, LM supported the new STEM Zone backpack program with coordination and supply of the “STEM with LM” “Yellow For Safety” STEM kit, which included a prism and QR code to a safety colors worksheet. With the help of an organization called Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation, the completed backpacks were donated to Arizona schools to engage student populations underrepresented in the fields of STEM.

DOE offices are committed to expanding our reach to all communities and youth so that they can become acquainted with our work in service to the DOE mission. We hope to engage further with collaborators on STEM education as we continue to build our workforce capacity, and we look forward to our continued work with the WMS. Like DOE, the WMS is committed to developing and maintaining a pipeline that delivers our future workforce. Visit their STEM page at https://www.wmsym.org/students/stem/.