Tennessee STEM Program Newsletter: Local Resources and Guide

Tennessee has one of the most significant concentrations of federal science infrastructure in the country. Oak Ridge National Laboratory was founded as part of the Manhattan Project and today operates the world's most advanced neutron science facilities and some of the world's fastest supercomputers. Combined with a major automotive manufacturing sector and a growing healthcare industry, Tennessee STEM education has compelling local context at every turn.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL in Oak Ridge is the Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory. Its Spallation Neutron Source is the world's most powerful pulsed neutron source for materials research. Its Frontier supercomputer was the world's fastest when launched in 2022. ORNL conducts research in nuclear science, clean energy, materials science, and computing.

ORNL runs extensive K-12 education programs including teacher research experiences, student competitions through the Tennessee Governor's STEM Challenge, and classroom outreach. For East Tennessee schools especially, ORNL is a world-class employer and science education resource right in their region.

Automotive manufacturing across Tennessee

Tennessee has one of the highest per-capita concentrations of automotive manufacturing in the country. Nissan's largest North American plant is in Smyrna. Volkswagen assembles vehicles in Chattanooga. GM built vehicles in Spring Hill. Ford is building an electric vehicle assembly campus in Stanton. These plants collectively employ tens of thousands of manufacturing engineers, quality specialists, and automation technology professionals.

Tennessee Valley Authority and energy science

TVA is a federal utility that provides power to seven southeastern states through a combination of coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, and renewable sources. TVA employs electrical engineers, environmental scientists, and energy systems analysts. It is a major Tennessee employer with an active school engagement program. For students interested in energy systems and environmental engineering, TVA provides a local institutional connection.

Nashville healthcare and biomedical research

Nashville is one of the nation's most important healthcare industry cities. Hospital Corporation of America, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and dozens of healthcare companies are based there. Vanderbilt's biomedical research programs are world-class. For Middle Tennessee students interested in biomedical engineering and healthcare technology, Nashville offers direct local career pathways.

Template: Tennessee STEM newsletter excerpt

"This semester our computing class is studying supercomputing and artificial intelligence. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located about 25 miles from our school, operates some of the world's most powerful supercomputers. We have an ORNL researcher visiting in February to talk about computational science careers. We are also starting our automotive engineering unit, connected to the Nissan plant in Smyrna. The Tennessee Science Fair registration is also open this month."

Tennessee STEM competitions

Science Olympiad Tennessee runs competitive state championships. FIRST Robotics Tennessee has multiple regional events. The Tennessee Science Fair connects to ISEF. The Tennessee Junior Academy of Science holds annual research competitions. MATHCOUNTS Tennessee has active chapters. These competitions build the scientific and engineering skills that Tennessee's research labs and manufacturing employers need.

Daystage makes it easy to keep Tennessee families connected to Oak Ridge research, automotive manufacturing careers, and competition opportunities throughout the school year.