DISCUSSING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL IN HIGHSCHOOL CLASSROOMS: ADDRESSING PUBLIC FEARS THROUGH EARLY EDUCATION

摘要

The Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) has operated a summer science education program in collaboration with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and its other research partners, for over 25 years. The DRSA program provides a mechanism for early stage training of highly qualified people, by providing opportunities for high school students to acquire hands-on research experience working alongside university student tutors. Both tutors and students gain from the expertise of experienced scientists in natural sciences and engineering, as well as the unique facilities at AECL. Based on the success of the summer research program and recent advances in communication technology, the DRSA has launched a new program, called Inreach. The DRSA's title sponsor is AECL, where most of the research projects are conducted. Thus, the majority of DRSA projects are connected to nuclear science and technology. This collaboration between AECL and the DRSA has enabled the education of young Canadians about used nuclear fuel and the effects of radiation, thus helping to dispel myths and allay potential public fear which arises through lack of knowledge and understanding The Inreach program combines the DRSA "learning through research" approach with state of the art communication technology to bring scientific research to high school classrooms. The Inreach program follows the DRSA teaching model where a university student tutor works on a research project with scientific staff at AECL 's Chalk River Laboratories. Participating high school classes are located across Canada. The high school students learn about the ongoing research activities via weekly web conferences. In order to engage the students and encourage participation in the conferences, themed exercises linked to the research project are provided to the students. The DRSA 's Inreach program uses a cost-effective internet technology to reach a wide audience, in an interactive setting, without anyone leaving their desks or offices. An example Inreach research project is presented here: an investigation of the potential of the Canadian supercritical water cooled reactor (SCWR) concept to burn transuranic elements (Np, Pu, Am, Cm) to reduce the impact of used nuclear fuel. During this project a university student worked with AECL researchers on technical aspects of the project, and high school students followed their progress and learned about the composition, hazards, and disposition options for used nuclear fuel. Previous projects included the effects of tritium on cellular viability (AECL) and neutron diffraction measurement of residual stresses in automobile engines (National Research Council of Canada).