We are honored to announce that Nuclear Power: How a Nuclear Power Plant Really Works! was listed as recommended reading in the premier posting of The Nuclear Literacy Project.

A History of Successful Outreach:

In the nuclear industry there are constant calls for new approaches to public relations and fresh dialogue with everyday people. However, these calls to action are rarely acted upon because as a whole, the nuclear industry has not yet ‘put its money where its mouth is’ when it comes to communications.

All other competitors in the energy industry realized long ago that the best path to positive public relations is to support the organizations that support what you do, and now you have the chance to do exactly that. The Nuclear Literacy Project (NLP) is a grassroots public education campaign organized by a group of proven, passionate communicators.

Suzy Hobbs Baker is the Executive Director of PopAtomic Studios, the groundbreaking 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that pioneered the use of art and design as tools for education on energy issues. PopAtomic Studios is the parent organization for the Nuclear Literacy Project and Baker has taken on a leadership and development role at NLP. Baker’s unique vision of using art as a catalyst for public education has earned her many accolades, including a National Public Radio E-chievment Award, a TedX talk which has been widely distributed online, as well as public speaking engagements for prestigious institutions like the Idaho National Laboratory and Women in Nuclear. Baker is also a member of the National Nuclear Science Week Steering Committee, the American Nuclear Society, as well as a regular contributor to the ANS Nuclear Café.

Although NLP is a new initiative, one only has to look at the proven success of PopAtomic Studios to see the positive impacts of our unique cross-disciplinary approach. Imagery created by PopAtomic artists has shown up everywhere from science classrooms in Indonesia, to Duke Energy’s Energy Explorium Museum, to Babcock & Wilcox’s corporate offices, to the Financial Times of London, to rallies in support of Vermont Yankee. It has become the iconography of a new generation of nuclear supporters. PopAtomic Studios has also established a long-standing outreach program with community colleges in and around Atlanta, GA, using sociology as a tool to explore the cultural implications of our collective misunderstandings of nuclear energy.

In the early development of the Nuclear Literacy Project, Baker assembled a team of world-class communicators and nuclear experts:

• Rod Adams, publisher of Atomic Insights
• Gwyneth Cravens, author of “Power to Save the World”
• Margaret Harding, president of 4 Factor Consulting
• Andrea Jennetta, publisher of Fuel Cycle Week
• Robert Margolis, nuclear engineer
• Karen Norheim, Vice President of Marketing for American Crane & Equipment Corporation
• Nancy Roth, Communications Professional
• Laura Scheele, nuclear advocate

This group has already achieved a great deal with limited resources, including our highly acclaimed website:  nuclearliteracy.org. We invite you to explore our website and see the innovative ways we are already doing what everyone else is still just talking about.  Some of the things we offer:

• Interactive, Fun Resources- Most people find science to be intimidating and difficult. Through the creation of interactive learning tools, users are encouraged to learn at their own pace, meanwhile enjoying the process, without fear of failure.

• Built In Success for Users- We strategically set up the website to ensure a positive learning experience for users. For instance after users try the “Fast Facts” interactive learning tool; they are redirected to a short quiz based on their new knowledge. Users immediately gain positive reinforcement when they ace the quiz, encouraging them to continue learning.

• Multi-tiered Approach to Learning- If you follow the menu bar on the website from left to right, the information starts off very simply, and builds as you, the user, goes along. This encourages participants to intuitively build their knowledge of nuclear technologies in a sustainable way, beginning with simple facts and moving towards more complex concepts.

• Context, Context, Context- We work very diligently to keep all of our learning tools written in basic, nontechnical language in order to reach the broadest possible audience. We also make sure to connect new facts with the real ways that nuclear energy impacts people’s everyday lives.

• Giving a Face to the Technology- Our “Nuclear All Stars” blog feature 4 young nuclear engineers as they build their careers in the industry. Not only does this provide a positive human element to the website; it also acts as a work-force development tool by highlighting job opportunities ranging from new nuclear technologies to operations to nonproliferation.

• A Self-Contained Lesson Plan- Computers are an integral piece of the modern classroom, and with the input of the Greenville, SC North American Young Generation in Nuclear Chapter, the NLP website is designed to be a lesson plan in and of itself for nuclear professionals conducting classroom visits. Starting with simple facts, moving though quizzes, and ending with several short videos, even the most inexperienced volunteer will have a successful classroom visit. All you need to do is project the website onto the board and start learning!

• Appealing to Women– Since women are both the primary decision makers about household energy use and one of the least supportive demographics when it comes to nuclear energy, we designed the website layout and colors to appeal to women. Luckily men seem to like it too:  we haven’t gotten any complaints about the design yet!

• Social Media Goldmine- Our team understands the importance of using social media to communicate, and has designed a site that is extremely conducive to “sharing,” “liking,” and “tweeting.” In fact most companies in the nuclear already industry benefit from our consistent positive web resources that regularly “go viral” among nuclear supporters and beyond.

• Room to Grow- One of the most important aspects of the website is the fact that it is in a state of continuous improvement. New blog posts, resources, apps and games are always under construction, and we want our sponsors to play a major role in the creation of new content.

With your support this team will do even more to effectively engage the public and cultivate positive perceptions of nuclear energy through the continued development of new online learning tools, lesson plan packages for teachers, community support at local and regional events related to nuclear energy, and speaking engagements for our “Nuclear All Stars.” We are counting on you to support us, so that we can continue supporting you, your company and your products.

The Nutcracker Publishing Company is pleased to be associated with The Nuclear Literacy Project and would like to thank them for supporting our efforts to educate young children about nuclear power plants.  To learn more about how The NLP supported our endeavors read The Nuclear Literacy Project. Helping Children Feel Smart!