Greg Wilkett, Fluor-BWXT President and CEO
BEAVER, Ohio -- September 23, 2021 -- Pike County’s Eastern Elementary recently received a $4,000 donation from the Waste Management Symposia (WMS), a non-profit business based in Arizona that hosts an annual international conference for the management of radioactive waste and related topics and is attended by representatives of Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, LLC (FBP). The donation is designed to help students from small communities navigate the depths of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Waste Management Symposia (WMS), a non-profit business that hosts the annual international conference for radioactive waste management, has donated $4,000 to buy computers for the Eastern Local School District in Pike County. From left, Neil Leist (Superintendent), Susan Walter (WMS), Matt Hines (Elementary School Principal), Tishina Brown-Harris (Elementary Technology Teacher), JD Dowell (FBP) and Deneen Garner (FBP).
WMS Managing Director Susan Walter and Fluor-BWXT personnel met with school officials at Eastern Elementary School on August 23 to provide the donation and speak briefly about the purpose of the program.
“Our STEM program has been gaining momentum,” Walter said. “In the last three years, WMS has been focusing on STEM efforts which encourages children in the younger age groups and really makes them familiar with what’s going on. We hope this is a legacy we can continue to build on and look to the future to do what we can to help in STEM education.”
“Fluor, BWXT and FBP are proud to be sponsors in affiliation with WMS in their efforts to reach out and support communities surrounding the PORTS site,” said JD Dowell, FBP Site Project Director. “We all share a commitment to the betterment of our communities and specifically the mission in fostering STEM K-12 engagement to support future workforce needs. These funds so graciously provided by WMS go a long way in bringing quality education and opportunity to our talented and ambitious local youth in their pursuit of STEM and all education programs.”
"Writing code, performing programming functions…it's proof that sometimes children only need a little help to open doors to unlimited potential,” added Deneen Garner, FBP Senior Community Relations Specialist.
Teacher Tishina Brown-Harris plans to buy a set of desktop computers for the school’s technology classes for kindergarten through 5th graders.
“The kids are very excited,” Brown-Harris said. “The desktop computers will run a better CAD (computer aided design) program than what we’ve been using. We are very thankful.”
During the school year, Brown-Harris encourages the children to participate in online coding/programming competitions with students from across the nation. The school has finished in the top 10 the past three years.
“After bonding with them doing these projects, they buy into it, they want to do well, they appreciate it and they are ready to work hard,” she said.
The WMS conference attracts 2,400 people from more than 35 countries.
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About Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC
Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) (NYSE: BWXT), two world-class companies with significant Ohio experience, formed Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC (FBP) to address the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) needs at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Portsmouth Site in Pike County, Ohio. Jacobs Engineering, another global leader in industrial and environmental projects, provides support. Fluor-BWXT employs 1,800 workers who bring unparalleled experience, insights, and lessons learned from across the DOE complex. The Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth mandate is to clean up the Portsmouth Site safely and compliantly, provide strong uranium stewardship and partner with local communities to achieve a sustainable economic future. For more information, visit www.fbportsmouth.com.
