CNS awards STEM grants to Texas Panhandle and East Tennessee schools

Oak Ridge, Tenn.— From hovercrafts and coding to aquaponics and pneumatics, five schools in the Texas Panhandle and five schools in East Tennessee will soon be advancing their educational efforts in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) thanks to grants from Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), the managing and operating contractor for the Pantex Plant and Y-12 National Security Complex. This month, CNS awarded ten $1,000 grants for STEM activities in the classroom and to help develop the future workforce.

The grants in Texas were awarded to the following schools and projects:

• Dumas Intermediate, conduction, coding, and creating activities;
• Highland Park Elementary, hovercrafts;
• Ridgecrest Elementary, STEAM (science, technology, art, and math) Lab;
• Rogers Elementary, coding; and
• White Deer Elementary, snap circuit kits

In Tennessee, the following schools and projects received grants:

• Central High School, an aquaponics teaching lab;
• Maryville Junior High School, new curriculum in pneumatics;
• Oakdale School, rainwater runoff design challenge; and
• Roane County High School, introducing students to civil and environmental engineering, construction, and computer-aided design to beautify the campus; and
• Wartburg Central High School, creation of a maker space for business and technology.

Grant applications accepted to recognize careers in engineering
CNS announced the grant opportunities in recognition of Engineers Week in February. In March, a total of 24 submissions were evaluated by a panel of volunteer engineers at Pantex and Y-12. The groups carefully reviewed all the applications and narrowed the impressive list down in order to recommend the ten winners.

“Having an opportunity to offer these grants to our local educators was a great way to help encourage STEM education in our future workforce,” said Darla Fish, Community and Educational Outreach coordinator at Pantex.

“The creativity and quality of the submissions were exceptional,” said Kristin Waldschlager, Y-12 education outreach specialist. “We appreciate the efforts of our local STEM educators, and we’re thrilled to be able to enhance their efforts through these grants. We look forward to seeing the results of these projects.”

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. CNS member companies include Bechtel National, Inc.; Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, Inc.; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Kathryn King, APR
Communications
Office (865) 315.5996
Kathryn.King@pxy12.doe.gov