For more than 60 years, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore have applied science and technology to the goal of strengthening the nation's security. LLNL alone employs more than 8,000 people, which includes thousands of scientists and engineers. Last December, a team at LLNL's National Ignition Facility conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history to achieve fusion ignition, which is also known as scientific energy breakeven. That means the experiment "produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it," according to officials, who added that the first-of-its-kind feat will provide many benefits, including "invaluable insights into the prospects of clean fusion energy."

The Discovery Center

While LLNL is best known for its breakthrough research and innovation, the lab has long supported science education. LLNL's 1,100-square-foot Discovery Center, which opened in 1976, features exhibits that educate visitors on a range of specialized research areas. "Our vision for the Discovery Center is to bring the science of the laboratory to the public," says Joanna Albala, the lab's Science Education Program Manager. "The Discovery Center shares with the community what the laboratory does and what the national lab systems are all about."

The online Virtual Discovery Center was launched in September 2021 after the onsite museum was forced to close during the Covid pandemic. "Intended as a resource for students, teachers and members of the public, the Virtual Discovery Center showcases exciting scientific discoveries from around the laboratory with links to videos, educational resources, and fun facts typically shared while visiting the center," according to officials. "Among many other activities, visitors can meet the wildlife that reside on-site, learn about the Laboratory's research in space, or download a comic book that takes readers inside the National Ignition Facility, the world's most energetic laser."

During the pandemic closure, the Science Education Program designed a virtual tour map of the laboratory as well as the Virtual Discovery Center. "These products are new and were developed during Covid so that new employees who were not on site could learn more about the lab, and so that we could continue to keep the spirit of the Discovery Center alive while we couldn't host visitors," notes Albala.

Early this year, the Discovery Center updated some of its exhibits and reopened to visitors. Changes include modernizing the half-size replica of the target chamber in the actual National Ignition Facility, a new exhibit on some of LLNL's satellite work, and a wall that showcases contributions by all types of employees, not just scientists, who are doing many different jobs at the lab. "We also have what I call the Covid cubby, which is an homage to what the laboratory did during Covid," says Albala. "I'm particularly proud of it because I don't think the public knows the type of effort that the lab did during that time."

In March 2020, when U.S. hospitals faced a possible shortage of mechanical ventilators, a self-assembled volunteer team at LLNL worked with outside partners over two weeks to develop a simple ventilator design that could be built quickly and easily using non-medical parts. After five weeks, the team had the necessary test data and documentation to submit the design to the Food and Drug Administration for approval. The design was approved for emergency use in June 2020.

Many Education Programs

The Discovery Center and its virtual counterpart are only a few of LLNL's many forms of public science education. The Fun with Science field trip program returned this year with new programming that introduced fifth-grade students to lasers and optics. The Day at the Lab in-person tour showcases facilities such as the National Ignition Facility. A virtual Scientist in the Classroom program brings a field trip experience to students in their classrooms, and the Physics with Phones lessons also provide remote classroom resources. Another program, Science on Saturday, partners a local area teacher that works in the program part-time with a scientist to bring science to the community through public education about the innovative research going on at the lab.

This year the lab brought in 900 Tri-Valley elementary school students to learn about the National Ignition Facility in elementary school, according to Albala. Teacher research academies are also back in operation. Summer student workshops are in full swing this year, and the lab is currently hosting its inaugural STEM with Smartphones workshop. High school students are learning how to use their phones to understand principles of physics, biology, and engineering. The lab has "a fantastic Girls Who Code program" that does after-school coding with staff.

After the historic fusion experiment, the head of the laboratory emphasized the importance of its work. "The pursuit of fusion ignition in the laboratory is one of the most significant scientific challenges ever tackled by humanity, and achieving it is a triumph of science, engineering, and most of all, people," according to LLNL Director Dr. Kim Budil. "Crossing this threshold is the vision that has driven 60 years of dedicated pursuit, a continual process of learning, building, expanding knowledge and capability, and then finding ways to overcome the new challenges that emerged. These are the problems that the U.S. national laboratories were created to solve."

While solving such problems are key to the purpose of LLNL, so is educating the public about such cutting-edge science. "We have the ability to excite students about science," says Albala. "It's very important that these various education programs go into the community and show students and the public alike what's happening inside the fence. Having a national lab in your backyard is a big deal because we do multidisciplinary team science in the interest of the nation. The outreach work we do and the education program not only help generate science literate citizens but also inspire students to consider various careers that are available at the lab and elsewhere."

For more information about Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, please visit www.llnl.gov.

For more information about the Discovery Center, please visit www.llnl.gov/community-education/discovery-center.

For more information about the Science Education Program, please visit www.st.llnl.gov/sci-ed.