Forty engineers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently helped 1,484 area middle school students explore engineering with 72 hands-on activities.
Office of Environmental Management
February 27, 2024
minute read time
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Engineer and volunteer Terry Wilder, right, assists Murphey Middle School students Tyrrell Yeldell, left, and Kelvon Williams with the “Leaning Tower of Pasta” activity focused on design engineering techniques.
AIKEN, S.C. — Forty engineers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently helped 1,484 area middle school students explore engineering with 72 hands-on activities.
Formerly known as “Engineering Teach-Ins,” “Discover Engineering” highlights how engineering impacts the world from the perspective of engineers. Since the outreach program’s start in 2008, SRS volunteers have gone into classrooms where they’ve spent thousands of hours focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with more than 30,000 students.
“This is a major opportunity to expose students to the world of engineering,” said Taylor Rice, Education Outreach specialist for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s managing and operating contractor. “Our partnership with local schools continues to spark interest in our most needed scientific and technical careers. It supports a growing and viable workforce.”
In a centerpiece story last week, EM Update spotlighted five engineers across the cleanup complex for National Engineers Week. Read it here:
EM Update Exclusive Feature
SRNS Engineer Terry Wilder volunteered at Murphey Middle School and led an activity called “Leaning Tower of Pasta,” teaching students the importance of structural design engineering.
“I truly enjoy connecting with the next generation of future leaders,” said Wilder. “Engineering is a promising career option in a world where students tend to idolize professional athletes, celebrities and social media influencers. These activities show students key elements that we look for in our future engineers and that this career could be the perfect fit for them.”
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Education Outreach Specialist Taylor Rice assists Murphey Middle School students in building a structure made from spaghetti and marshmallows.
Tyrrell Yeldell, an eighth grader at the school, noted that engineers are critical to building safety. The event also inspired him to consider a computer engineering career.
“Although my group struggled to build a spaghetti structure that could withstand the pressure of the textbooks, I realized how important engineers are to the world and the safety of buildings all around us,” Yeldell said. “I love Minecraft and working with computers. Terry showed me how I can transform these talents into a computer engineering career.”
In conjunction with National Engineers Week, the demonstrations are part of DiscoverE, which celebrates the contributions of engineers worldwide. SRNS volunteers covered engineering degrees, average salaries, recommended courses, extracurricular activities and other ways students can plan for early success.
Tanya Redic, a science instructor at Murphey Middle School, was amazed at the opportunities SRS has provided local schools since becoming a science teacher nearly 20 years ago.
“This program is the engine that will drive my students in the right direction to become future scientists, engineers and mathematicians,” said Redic. “SRS is making a difference and helping students pursue bigger dreams.”
SRNS Education Outreach provides a variety of science and engineering outreach programs with the goals of drawing interest in STEM and improving education in the local community. For more information about these programs, click here.
-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environment Management, submit your e-mail address.