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Teachers get lesson in nuclear energy
7/23/2008 9:34 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend



By ROB NOVIT

Senior writer

NEW ELLENTON -- Over the past three days, teacher LaLisa Folk learned about the Savannah River Site, the Environmental Protection Agency, nuclear energy and the nuclear industry, reactor design and the basics of radiation.

For the past decade, the U.S. Department of Energy has hosted the TREAT workshop for teachers - Teaching Radiation, Energy and Technology. The program is funded through an environmental grant with Savannah State University.

"I was looking for user-friendly things to pull into my science lessons," said Folk, a fifth-grade teacher at Chukker Creek Elementary School. "I learned about radiation and environmental protection. I'll look at the state standards to see how I can incorporate the information."

With the nuclear industry re-emerging in recent years, the workshop for teachers is especially timely, said Jeff Allison, DOE manager at the Savannah River Site.

"These have always been good sessions for teachers to learn about the beneficial uses of nuclear power, energy and radiation," he said. "Some of their students may be future leaders of the nuclear industry."

Dr. Kenneth Sajwan, a former Savannah River Ecology Lab staff member, served as the workshop director. He is a professor and environmental sciences director at Savannah State.

Other speakers represented the EPA and the Washington Savannah River Company. Two guests, both University of Florida professors, serve as nuclear facilities directors there.

"This is information for teachers, but it's also about involving them as community members," said Sajwan. "We're close to the Site and want them to know the pros and cons of the environment and radiation ... They can take an active part in the decision-making process at SRS."

The workshop also included several DOE interns, including Savannah State student Andre McGregor.

"There's so much negativity attached to nuclear energy," he said. "This program debunks some of those concepts as well as validates ways energy is used throughout the U.S."

The workshop was useful in helping teachers become more aware of nuclear energy and not to be afraid of it, said Margo Gore, a Kennedy Middle School science teacher.

"We could understand the chemistry behind nuclear energy and got the information in layman's terms to pass on to our students," she said. "We can do some projects with our students."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.





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