Grant award helps set high school students on a positive career path.

Madison, Miss. – Students at Madison Central High School are learning about safely managed radiation and career opportunities in the nuclear energy industry with the help of Gieger counters and other educational tools recently provided to the school by Entergy.

The effort is being made through a grant by Entergy Mississippi and the Power Path to Nuclear Energy initiative.

Power Path provides engaging nuclear science curriculum materials as part of Entergy’s Destination Education initiative aimed at supporting Mississippi public education. Power Path reflects a unique partnership between Entergy, the Mississippi State Department of Education, and EnergySolutions Foundation, a national organization. Science teachers grades 7-12 can easily incorporate Power Path’s games, puzzles and online resources into classroom science activities.

Geiger counters and other hands-on learning materials are being provided through the company’s continuing support to Madison Central High School and the Adopt-A-School program. Entergy’s leadership in the program includes partnerships with 19 Mississippi schools and annual financial support of more than $30, 0000.

Science teachers at Madison Central are using the tools to help students understand atomic structure and chemical bonding, calculate radioactive decay, and grasp the properties of emissions, along with opening their eyes to the possibilities of future careers.

Entergy is supporting the contribution with classroom presentations and teacher training opportunities.

“With Entergy’s help, we are attaining the scientific learning goals we know we must achieve while helping students realize how this knowledge can have a positive effect on their career choices,” said Aaron King, Madison Central high science teacher. Entergy Nuclear, the nation’s second-largest producer of nuclear power, is headquartered just a few miles from the school in Jackson. Mississippi’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station near Port Gibson is one of 11 nuclear reactors owned and operated by the company.

“By enhancing the educational experiences of Mississippi’s schoolchildren, Entergy hopes to help reduce dropout rates and, at the same time, open doors to the future for Mississippi students,” said Patricia Rucker, customer service manager for Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “At the same time we are supporting Mississippi’s economic growth by fostering a future workforce, which benefits us all.”

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and more than 15,000 employees.

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