During a visit, the club members learned about the history of the Paducah Site and met with site managers and workers to understand various careers.
Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office
August 13, 2019
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PADUCAH, Ky.—Youth from the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club screamed at the top of their lungs into a Sound Level Meter during a recent visit to the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP) Safety and Health Supervisor Darryl Pea used this hands-on experience to demonstrate how safety and health instruments, like the sound-level meter, are used to help protect workers during deactivation and remediation work at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Paducah Site.
During their visit, the club members learned about the history of the Paducah Site and met with site managers and workers to understand various career fields.
"This experience has made a tremendous impact on (the youth) who attended," Oscar Cross Executive Director Neal Clark said. "The tour opened our members’ minds to career opportunities in our community that some didn’t know existed. This partnership with the Department of Energy allows the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club to do our part in educating local talent about future employment opportunities."
In support of Clark’s mission to educate youth, DOE’s Paducah Site Lead, Jennifer Woodard of the Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, presented information to help the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club understand the various jobs being performed at the Paducah Site.
"This visit allowed area youth to see that the Paducah Site functions like a small city and it takes people with varying skills and levels of education to safely perform work at the site," Woodard said.
The club members participated in hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities that addressed such topics as safety, information technology, and engineering. They also participated in activities that demonstrate the importance of protecting the environment.
"It’s important for students to see all the career opportunities that are available to them if they will make education a priority and work hard to accomplish their goals," FRNP Program Manager Jeff Bradford said. "Our company is happy to participate in this event as we work to inspire future generations to pursue STEM careers."
