Teens Find Passion, Future Opportunities at Oak Ridge STEM Summer Camp

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – For about a dozen teens, summer camp brought them into the world of the Office of Environmental Management's (EM) environmental cleanup at Oak Ridge.

The students came from across the Appalachian region to attend the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Summer STEM Academy. Part of the two-week program included a tour of the Oak Ridge Reservation.

“I thought it was really cool,” Naomi Vargas, a student from North Carolina, said of the tour. “I got a lot of pictures.”

Residential programs are offered to middle and high school students, sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Students from 13 states attended the camp in July.

“I love telling the stories and then also just answering the questions,” said Roger Petrie, a regulatory affairs specialist with the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management.

Petrie served as a tour guide for the students while they took a bus to different areas of Oak Ridge, including the former K-25 site. Building K-25 was the largest structure in the world at the time of its construction in 1944. Its mission was to help end a global war by producing uranium for the world’s first nuclear weapon. EM crews completed demolition of the four-story, 44-acre facility in 2013.

Petrie said he loves it when he gets to watch the students interact with each other and “see how much fun they’re having and to actually be a part of that,” he said.

Isabelle Gladson, another student from North Carolina, was hoping the visit would help her decide her career path. She knew she wanted to go into a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related field, but wasn’t sure where her passions fit.

“I really like the nuclear and how they’re disposing of everything, and their mission statement was really interesting,” Gladson explained. “A lot of people don’t feel the need to take care of the surrounding areas and they really wanted to. They said it was their duty to do that.”

It's students with drive like that the cleanup program is trying to reach. With about 30% of the EM workforce in Oak Ridge eligible to retire in the next decade, finding future talent is critical to completing cleanup missions.

“Show them Oak Ridge. Show them what we have to offer as far as opportunities for them, but also where we need help. We have a lot of cleanup still to do. We need people to do this cleanup,” Petrie said.

The Summer STEM Academy aims to provide hands-on experience the students wouldn’t otherwise get, while promoting teamwork and exposing them to college opportunities.