Roundup of statewide and regional energy education programs.
Submitted by Shawn Reeves
2006-01-29 10:51:48
<P><I>Here is a list of several localized programs that help educators with energy-curriculum. This is not an exhaustive list of all the programs in the english-speaking world; we welcome your comments on these or any other programs you may know.
You can use this list to find your local programs, or to research any programs for materials that might inspire you. Contact EnergyTeachers.org if youd like to see such services in your area.
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<P ALIGN=CENTER>EnergyQuest–Energy Education from the California Energy Commission</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/">http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/</A></P>
<P>EnergyQuest sponsors an art contest, guides for science (fair) projects, a Jeopardy-style knowledge and trivia game, organized text, lesson plans, grants for CA teachers, a bibliography, and an e-mail list for sharing ideas.</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>EnergyNet (IL and national)</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.energynet.net/">http://www.energynet.net/</A></P>
<P>EnergyNet develops curriculum for schools, concentrating on serving new mandates and encouraging interdisciplinary learning; facilitates energy sleuthing, auditing, consulting, and engineering in schools; and facilitates working on energy issues in homes and communities. They are developing a network of teachers and students to share ideas between schools. You can listen to audio presentations of student work online in their Online Radio Show.
Their ideas on changes in curriculum and pedagogy are interesting:</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.energynet.net/best_practices/">http://www.energynet.net/best_practices/</A></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>FSEC–The Florida Solar Energy Center</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/">http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/</A></P>
<P>FSEC, a research institute at the University of Central Florida, helps school measure their energy use; educates about green building practices; helps consumers and schools consider solar power for buildings and electricity; runs programs on energy efficiency; serves data on environmental conditions and power generation and use at test sites; helps develop EnergySmart Schools (US EPA program); combines energy-related competitions between schools into the EnergyWhiz Olympics; presents several approaches to energy curriculum at:
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<P><A HREF="http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/ed/teachers/index.htm">http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/ed/teachers/index.htm</A></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>Infinite Power–from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.infinitepower.org">http://www.infinitepower.org</A></P>
<P>Infinite Power offers lesson plans and fact sheets, access to ask-an-expert, and consumer information about renewable energy.</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>KEEP (WI)–The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program
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<P><A HREF="http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/wcee/keep/">http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/wcee/keep/</A></P>
<P>KEEP runs an e-mail bulletin, printed newsletter (downloadable online), graduate-level courses for teachers, a network of over 2500 teachers, a fund-raising solution using compact fluorescents, workshops, and curriculum development, especially in renewable energy.
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<P ALIGN=CENTER>MEEP–The Maine Energy Education Project</P>
<P><A HREF="http://meepnews.org">http://meepnews.org</A><</P>
<P>MEEP organizes Junior Solar Sprint; Electrathon, a HS-level electric car design, build, and race competition; a CFL fund-raiser; and several classroom activities about energy resources and use.</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>NEED–The National Energy Education Development Project</P>
<P><A HREF="http://need.org">http://need.org</A></P>
<P>NEED (with its local representatives) maintains curriculum about all resources and uses of energy; Career Currents, a newsletter about careers in energy; Energy Exchange, a newsletter for teachers with ideas for lessons and briefs on technologies at different grade-levels; Field trips and conferences; kits of reading and hands-on materials; a bulletin board online for exchange of ideas about energy education between hundreds of teachers; and youth awards for energy scholarship.</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>NESEA–The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association</P>
<P><A HREF="http://nesea.org">http://nesea.org</A></P>
<P>NESEA organizes Junior Solar Sprint, a solar car design competition for middle school students; Tour de Sol, a competition and exhibit of alternative-fuel vehicles; curriculum about transportation and energy alternatives; Building Energy, an annual conference on energy-conscious building and design; and Energy in Schools, a bi-annual conference on energy education; Green Car Club; workshops for educators; and Sustainable Yellow Pages, a guide to sustainable installers, experts, architects, consultants, shops, and other professionals.
Local chapters of NESEA host forums on topics related to renewable energy and sustainable living.</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>NYSERDA School Power...Naturally–New York State Energy Research and Development Authoritys program to educate New Yorkers about solar electric power</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.powernaturally.org/programs/SchoolPowerNaturally/">http://www.powernaturally.org/programs/SchoolPowerNaturally/</A></P>
<P>School Power...Naturally develops curriculum, runs a program of 50 schools with solar on the roof, and helps schools share and learn from real data about photovoltaic usage in NY.
Local programs make presentations, give tours and workshops, help teachers with kits and media, and help government agencies and other organizations strengthen energy education in locally appropriate ways.</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER>TEEN–The Tennessee Energy Education Network</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.state.tn.us/ecd/energy_teen.htm">http://www.state.tn.us/ecd/energy_teen.htm</A></P>
<P>TEEN publishes Energy Angles, a bimonthly, often captivating newsletter; offers workshops, materials, and contests.</P>