The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) Portsmouth Site recently expanded its hands-on learning program by adding Waverly City Schools, now making the initiative part of all four public school districts in Pike County.
Office of Environmental Management
April 16, 2024
minute read time
Scioto Valley Local School District students work on problem solving skills at the STEAM Ahead engineering creation station where they learn different engineering techniques to strengthen their structures.
PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) Portsmouth Site recently expanded its hands-on learning program by adding Waverly City Schools, now making the initiative part of all four public school districts in Pike County.
The program, called STEAM Ahead, encompasses science, technology, engineering, arts and math. It was created to support the EM commitment to promoting STEAM initiatives and developing an inclusive STEAM workforce of the future.
“We launched the program four years ago to introduce students to the possibilities of science and the wide range of careers to explore,” STEAM Ahead Co-Coordinator Tim Poe said. “We quickly realized this was going to be a big hit, not just with the students, but the teachers and administrators as well.”
STEAM Ahead rapidly expanded to new area schools and welcomed additional community partners, giving the students exposure to a variety of career opportunities.
“We love the hands-on STEAM activities the students engage in,” Eastern Elementary School Principal Matt Hines said. “The volunteers are always prepared with a fun educational activity for our students to explore. I appreciate the efforts DOE makes to invest in our students’ education.”
Third grade students at Waverly Intermediate School watch to determine whether their theories on a marshmallow in a vacuum are correct. This is the school’s first year in the program.
An Eastern Elementary School student takes a turn reading a teleprompter. During STEAM Ahead, students learn about video editing, storytelling and the importance of asking thoughtful questions.
Fluor-BWXT-Portsmouth’s John Albright, a four-year mentor with STEAM Ahead, teaches students about welding with a virtual reality welding program. Western Elementary School hosted the first ever STEAM Ahead and is now in its fourth year of participation.
More than a dozen mentors volunteer their time, providing hands-on experiences featuring physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, video technology, welding and more.
In addition to Portsmouth Site volunteers, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio University, Adena Health System, State Highway Patrol, and The Ohio State University Extension office partner with the program.
“By breaking down the program into smaller groups, we are able to give the students a better experience so everyone can be a part of the hands-on lessons, and the mentors have time to answer the students’ questions,” said Deneen Garner, STEAM Ahead co-coordinator and community relations lead with Fluor-BWXT-Portsmouth, EM’s decontamination and decommissioning contractor for the Portsmouth Site.
The hands-on learning stations keep the students engaged and excited to learn, whether they use teamwork with their classmates to discover new ideas, find solutions through creativity or complete a task with newly developed skills, according to Garner.
“You can see the students are engaged with the presenters while learning and enjoying themselves,” Waverly City Schools Assistant Superintendent Melissa Marquez said. “The variety of activities give the students an opportunity to explore different interests they might not normally experience.”
-Contributor: Cindi Remy
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