In an innovative move to foster interest in STEM and build a foundation for future talent, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source has launched a creative middle school outreach program known as the "SNS LEGO Model Middle School Outreach Program." This educational initiative leverages the universal appeal of LEGO bricks to introduce students to the complex world of neutrons and particle acceleration, according to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
At the core of the program, students will assemble a scaled-down version of the Spallation Neutron Source accelerator, a device stretching the length of three football fields. Robert Saethre, Asset Management, and Engineering Program Manager, expressed his vision for the program, telling Oak Ridge National Laboratory, "Our goal is to give students an interactive experience that will spark their interest in STEM". They will learn by doing, simulating the SNS's operations, and understanding the rich variety of careers available at the lab, articulated into a curriculum by middle school teacher Macy Eason of Cherokee Middle School.
The pilot program is currently targeted at middle schoolers hailing from up to a dozen schools in East Tennessee. It provides students with a tangible representation of the SNS layout and its working principles using custom LEGO kits. Eason, who collaborated on the project's educational aspect, shared her enthusiasm with ORNL, declaring, "I hope this program continues year after year and grows to include many schools in the area. It is such a great opportunity for local students, and for ORNL."
Part of the program's design is a planned three-day LEGO model-building session where students pair up to construct components of the accelerator's injection region. Adding to the hands-on experience, a STEM Day event is scheduled for participants to visit the SNS facility, converse with professionals, and unite their LEGO sections into a complete model of the SNS accelerator. Stauffer Randa, a mechanical engineering student intern, played a catalyst role in ensuring the feasibility of creating a LEGO replica of the SNS chicane magnet region, with oversight from mechanical engineer Chad Helland. Randa's successful prototype, is a 3-foot-long section built from over two thousand LEGO bricks.
