Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source, or SNS, is a pulsed accelerator that produces neutrons for science, bringing researchers from all over the world to conduct experiments to gain insights across a wide range of fields including biology, materials and energy sciences, physics, engineering and chemistry. 

To say the accelerator is a highly complex piece of equipment is an understatement. At an impressive three football fields long, the SNS requires a team of engineers, technicians and specialists who keep it operating safely and reliably. 

Robert Saethre, Asset Management and Engineering Program Manager for the Neutron Sciences Directorate at ORNL, intends for students to build the accelerator with LEGO® bricks, albeit a much, much smaller version. Aimed to be both fun and challenging, this pilot program for the model accelerator – appropriately called the “SNS LEGO Model Middle School Outreach Program” – is Saethre’s way to introduce more middle schoolers to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

Participating students will use LEGO bricks to construct a scaled model of the accelerator, gaining a hands-on understanding of the SNS design and operational principles. This initiative not only introduces students to the workings of the lab but also plays a crucial role in workforce development, equipping them with valuable skills for the future.

“Our goal is to give students an interactive experience that will spark their interest in STEM,” said Saethre. “This program will provide an incredible opportunity to introduce students to the SNS and how it operates, and in doing so they will learn about the many jobs offered here at the lab.”   

The purpose of the pilot program is to bring in middle school students from up to a dozen schools across East Tennessee. Saethre partnered with Macy Eason, a middle school teacher at Cherokee Middle School, who developed a curriculum for the program. Over the summer, Eason created a lesson plan and interviewed ORNL employees at the SNS to craft job descriptions in a language that middle schoolers can better understand. The idea is to introduce students to the many career opportunities available at the lab and motivate them to pursue STEM courses so that they may one day be in a similar role. 

This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "Brick by brick, SNS LEGO program aims to introduce STEM, build foundation for future ORNL workforce" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news