(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) –The Idaho National Laboratory will host a series of events from Oct. 19 to 23, capped off by a marquee Family Nuclear Science Night on Oct. 28, designed to bring nuclear science to Idaho Falls and surrounding communities.
Nuclear Science Week is an annual international celebration recognized by national laboratories and commercial nuclear operators. The celebration builds public awareness and sparks interest in all aspects of nuclear science.
“Public engagement and STEM education help build meaningful connections within our community and make the important work happening at INL tangible to the people who live here,” said Brian Smith, Nuclear Science and Technology chief technology officer at INL. “Our researchers aren’t separate from this community. They’re neighbors and parents doing nationally important work. It’s important for them to be able to share that with their loved ones.”
Local events for 2026 include virtual tours and presentations, an ARTitorium Takeover for all ages, a paint night, a student-focused Science on Stage event and a culminating Family Nuclear Science Night event.
“When a student gets to ask a researcher a question face to face, that’s often the moment science stops feeling abstract and starts feeling possible,” said Sunshine Shepherd, INL’s K-12 STEM Education and Outreach manager. “Programs like these show kids that a future in STEM isn’t out of reach. It’s something they can see, touch and imagine for themselves.”
Family Nuclear Science Night will serve as the celebration’s capstone on Friday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the INL Meeting Center (775 MK Simpson Blvd.). The event is open to the first 350 people to register, giving families from around southeast Idaho the chance to meet real scientists and engineers, visit informational booths staffed by INL researchers and industry representatives, and take part in hands-on activities like building atoms and making chromatography butterflies.
This year’s celebration follows a notable summer at INL’s desert Site. Three advanced reactors achieved criticality, the state in which a reactor sustains a controlled nuclear chain reaction, in one of the most significant stretches of reactor milestones INL has seen in decades. That momentum adds extra weight to this year’s push to bring nuclear science to the public.
“Making nuclear energy science and technology approachable is our responsibility because we’re so woven into this community,” said Addison Arave, Nuclear Science and Technology communications liaison at INL. “That’s the goal of this year’s Nuclear Science Week: meeting people where they are, in creative and interesting ways.”
For full event details and registration, click here.
To register for Family Nuclear Science Night, click here.
This year’s national celebration is hosted by the Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society in Wilmington, North Carolina. More information is available here.
NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Addison Arave, Nuclear Science Week contact, 907-242-7104, [email protected]
Sunshine Shepherd, K-12 STEM contact, 970-442-1844, [email protected]
Sarah Neumann, media relations, 208-520-1651, [email protected]
Coordinate media coverage requests through Sarah Neumann.
