Just before spring break, AREVA Charlotte Women in Nuclear (WIN) members teamed up for a covert operation with Project Scientist to assemble science kits for 400 Project Scientist participants in Charlotte, N.C.
The Mission
Engage the school girls’ minds in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics over spring break by providing tools and instructions to investigate how wind power works.
The Strategy
The kits, mailed to the students’ homes, included instructions and materials to make a paper windmill using an AREVA pencil as the axle with a string and a paperclip on one end. How does it work? The axle (AREVA pencil) converts the energy from a breath of air, harnessed by the windmill, into useful work by twisting the string up and lifting the pencil.
During spring break, AREVA’s Women in Nuclear Charlotte chapter sent Project Scientist STEM kits to local school girls, teaching them about wind power energy conversion.
Mission Accomplished!
Building and operating the windmills taught the students how wind energy (their breath) becomes mechanical energy (the paperclip moves up), similar in concept to AREVA’s powerful offshore wind turbines generating up to eight megawatts of electricity.
In addition, each girl received a personal note from an AREVA employee encouraging the student to keep up the good work and continue pursuing Science and Math.
AREVA and WIN are proud to support the next generation of female engineers and scientists through partnerships with Project Scientist. The mission of Project Scientist is to engage and empower girls ages 4-14 with a passion, talent, and aptitude for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
Read more about AREVA’s past involvement with Project Scientist.
