Nearly 30 engineers at the Savannah River Site engaged over 1,400 area students in 56 hands-on activities during the recent “Discover Engineering” week.
Office of Environmental Management
March 4, 2025
minute read time
Glenn Hills Middle School students complete a do-it-yourself compass activity to learn about electromagnetism during “Discover Engineering.”
AIKEN, S.C. — Nearly 30 engineers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) engaged over 1,400 area students in 56 hands-on activities during the recent “Discover Engineering” week.
In the activities, the engineers highlighted how engineering impacts the world. Since the program's inception in 2008, SRS volunteers have dedicated thousands of hours to share science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences 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 with SRS management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, which coordinated the activities. “Our partnerships with local schools continue to spark interest in crucial scientific and technical careers.”
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions engineer Bre Ricks assists Glenn Hills Middle School students during a do-it-yourself compass activity focused on electrical engineering techniques.
Bre Ricks, a mechanical engineer supporting the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise, emphasized the importance of early exposure to engineering.
"I chose the spaghetti and marshmallow building contest because it was one of the first engineering projects I did in high school that sparked my interest,” Ricks said. “Providing that exposure and support can boost students’ confidence and make a huge difference.”
Will Kellum, an electrical engineer for the site’s Tritium Extraction Facility, led students at Glenn Hills Middle School in Augusta, Georgia, through an electromagnetism involving do-it-yourself compasses. Electromagnetism is the physical interaction among electric charges, magnetic moments and electromagnetic fields.
Electrical Engineer Will Kellum shares his career journey with students at Glenn Hills Middle School.
Sixth-grader Chance Ellison said he was amazed by the compass he made.
“Even if you removed the needle and put it back on compass, it still pointed north,” Ellison said. “I'm very thankful for my teacher for giving us this opportunity to have a guest speaker from SRNS visit our classroom."
During their demonstrations, SRNS volunteers covered engineering degrees, average salaries, recommended courses, extracurricular activities and ways students can plan for early success.
"Our students often lack exposure to higher-level opportunities and careers that are available close to home,” Glenn Hills Science Instructor Tama Clarke said. "Meeting two different SRS engineers in one day highlighted the vast array of career options available to them.”
-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb
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