Nearly 150 children showed up to school on a Saturday last month to learn about science and engineering, but mostly to have some fun. Utilities Service Alliance member Columbia Generating Station, operated by Energy Northwest, hosted its second annual Kid’s Engineering Day on Feb. 22 in Kennewick, Wash.

The Energy Northwest chapter of U.S. Women in Nuclear planned and organized the event for the community. Volunteers from around the local area, including about 25 Energy Northwest employees and family members, hosted booths and assisted with hands-on activities directly related to science and engineering. The concepts were basic and targeted children in Kindergarten through the 5th grade with free activities for a fun learning environment.

Some of these activities included lessons in static electricity with balloons; a trajectory and force demonstration with an Angry Birds game; and a visual representation of how nuclear reactions occur with a mousetrap and ping pong ball contraption.

“The kids love the fun activities and learn while they play. This is an all-around fantastic event for sharing our areas of expertise in an effective way with our community,” said Kaitlin Carter, chair of the local U.S. WIN chapter.

U.S. WIN is the premier network of more than 6,000 women and men who work in nuclear- and radiation-related fields around the country. The three focus areas of U.S. WIN are networking, professional development and public outreach.

Energy Northwest engineer Carolyn John (right) pours a solution of water and baking soda on a sour candy to test for acidity. She was one of the 25 Energy Northwest employee volunteers that helped bring science and math concepts to children during the Kid’s Engineering Day on Feb. 22. (Energy Northwest photo)