ANS immediate past president Lisa Marshall (blue sweater) tests the radioactivity of various materials at this year’s Radfest with Rex Reidel and Lillian Merrill, two chairs of the ANS Accelerators. (Photo: ANS)
The day before the 2025 ANS Annual Conference officially began in Chicago, the air was abuzz with the crackle of Geiger counters at Argonne National Laboratory in neighboring Lemont, Ill., where about 100 visitors from across the country attended an outreach and education event hosted by the American Nuclear Society.
Students using an ANS Visualizing Radiation Cloud Chamber. (Photo: Grace Stanke)
Nuclear science and technology is uniquely positioned to be a gateway for curiosity and exploration for students in grades K–12. Its study examines the literal fabric of reality, it has applications from the tiniest to the grandest of scales. It’s a constantly evolving industry with a bright future of discoveries and new technologies, and it’s an essential factor in our global effort to reduce carbon emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources. Frankly, learning about and doing things with atoms is pretty cool, from a kid’s perspective.
Free online K-12 curriculum on nuclear science includes virtual field trips, project starters and lessons
With back-to-school season upon us, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) is excited to announce that our Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World curriculum now reaches all grade levels and can be accessed at ans.org/navigatingnuclear.