New Spark Squad comic book debuts during Nuclear Science Week
The latest volume in the Spark Squad comic books series was released Monday as part of national Nuclear Science Week, an international event highlighting the importance of nuclear.
The weeklong observance, held annually the third week of October each year, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
While further editions of Spark Squad are in development, the three existing volumes and learning activities that accompany each book can be found on the DOE’s website.
Graphic novel: Spark Squad uses a graphic novel format to help educate the younger generation and recruit them into the nuclear power industry. The series’ volumes feature three children—Jasmine, Aria, and Thomas—who are tasked with developing clean energy inventions, one per volume. The series launched in 2022 and was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, with NREL employees Heidi Tinnesand, Dale “Scott” Jenne, and Jenny Wiegele leading the effort.
The first two volumes focused on marine energy and hydropower. In this latest installment, nuclear is the headliner. The story takes readers inside a nuclear power plant to learn how fission is like one big game of atomic dodgeball.
Energizing a new generation: Wiegele, a research project manager in Hydropower and Water Systems Deployment at NREL, added, “We’re not reaching people fast enough. . . . Most kids start to chase fascinations when they are 10 years old or younger.”
Jenne, a researcher and mechanical engineer at NREL, said the industry has to do more than present graphs, statistics, and research papers to get people of all ages to support nuclear. “It’s not the best method to reach beyond the scientific community, and it doesn’t get people excited about new things,” he said.
“We liked this ‘everyday superhero’ vision of kids,” said Tinnesand, a mechanical engineer at NREL. “Superheroes don’t have to wear capes.”
While kids understand that electricity powers their entertainment—from TVs and video games to charging their tablets and phones—Tinnesand said they need to draw more of a connection to clean, sustainable energy needed worldwide.
“A lot of these kids get lost in middle school,” she continued. “I wanted to do something to excite and inspire different kinds of students to come be part of this incredible industry.”
