October 17, 2018

The Beaver Valley Power Station is a prime contributor to the Beaver County economy and lately,  local outreach has become an even more vital aspect of the plant’s activities. Those efforts were showcased recently when the Beaver Valley chapter of NAYGN (North American Young Generation in Nuclear) hosted a Teach the Teachers day.

Twenty teachers from seven area school districts spent Thursday, Sept. 27, at Beaver Valley learning about nuclear generation, asking questions and interacting with site personnel.

Following a presentation on the basics of nuclear power, and a brief but detailed Q&A, the group  headed out on a whirlwind tour that included stops at the Unit 1 Turbine, Dry Cask Storage and the Unit 1 control room simulator. The group even had the opportunity to climb to the Unit 1 Cooling Tower floor and walk the fill circumference.

“This kind of visit is a fantastic opportunity to connect with leaders in the region,” said Carl Capen,  rapid response nuclear engineer and main tour guide for the day. “Teachers touch so many lives and play such a key role in their communities, we want to provide them as much information as possible for informed, positive discussions of our industry.”

Teachers from Ambridge, Big Beaver Falls, New Brighton, South Side Area and Western Beaver school districts, along with Beaver County Career and Technology Center and Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit, attended.

According to Matt Norris, nuclear engineer and the social/networking chair of the site NAYGN chapter, “Visits by local educators were an annual event up until a few years ago. But we had such a good response this time, we have discussed hosting a similar visit next year.”

Visitors had the chance to get in their daily step count as they did a lap around the Unit 1 cooling tower fill circumference.