Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Program

Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Program

United States

Received US$25000 in 2002

Names of organizations involved in project: FrontRange Earth Force, Colorado Energy Science Center, Hamilton Middle School, Hill Middle School, Earth Walk, Pickens Tech High School, Cross Community Coalition, and Hodgkins Middle School. Projects were carried out in the following communities: Northeast Denver, Southeast Denver, East Aurora, and Arvada. Problem statement Presently we waste nearly 55 percent of all energy generated in the US. This waste results in higher utility bills, environmental damage, accelerated resource depletion and increased dependence on foreign oil and gas. Yet, while few of us would deny the importance of improving energy efficiency and harnessing renewable sources, these issues rarely form part of K-12 education. Currently, educators' understanding of and commitment to exploring energy options are insufficient due in part to incomplete training and a lack of resources needed to provide a balanced view of our energy predicament. Those interested in teaching students about energy issues face a lack of truly engaging curriculum that helps students learn about efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy through interactive, hands-on projects that take them beyond the classroom to have an impact on their homes and schools. General description of what was done The schools and non-profit organizations involved in this project drew on the resources, experience, and networks of Earth Force and the Colorado Energy Science Center to enable their students to: Conduct an energy audit of their respective schools and homes Analyze energy audits to boost efficiency in their home, schools and communities Gain a better understanding of renewable energy generation and use Conduct a project to address one of the energy issues the students identify Through effective teacher training, educator support, and an innovative, project-based, learner driven approach, we reached 8 educators and approximately 255 youth during the 2002-2003 school year. Description of outcomes and follow-up 255 students engaged in learning about energy efficiency and renewable energy. Out of 12 teams (255 students), 10 became energy conservation advocates in their school and in their neighborhood; two teams developed brochures with easy energy-saving tips; four teams presented their information to community homeowner groups and to fellow students. Five classes participated in an energy contest; one team won $5,000 in window improvements for a home in their community! 110 students conducted home energy audits with the help of their families and teachers. Energy conservation actions were made over a 10-day period (signed documentations from approximately 125 students' parents) in an effort to change behaviors related to energy consumption. Seven sets of parents were persuaded by students to switch to wind-generated power from the local power company. One school energy audit was conducted, leading to better energy conservation in the school (teachers learning from students and modifying their behavior around energy use) and a slightly reduced monthly energy bill. As their culminating activity, approximately 180 of these students participated in the Earth Force Youth Summit, displaying the exhibits in energy conservation that they created. Successes Two hundred fifty-five students were engaged in learning about energy use, conservation, and renewable energy. The majority of these students took this to the next level by actively investigating energy use their home and/or schools. Thanks to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program, these students took an active interest in their energy use. Taking it to yet another level, the majority of these students decided to take action and become "energy efficiency advocates." They developed pamphlets and poster board displays and presented to fellow students, to their parents and other community homeowners, and to 1,000 youth and adult participants at Earth Force's Youth Summit. Eight educators further developed their resources and materials for energy lessons, particularly student-centered lessons that engage youth at a deeper level than a typical lecture or classroom science lab. The project stories presented above by educators illustrate a piece of this kind of learning. Challenges Due to their already heavy workload, fewer teachers were truly invested in participating in this project than we had originally anticipated. In order to confront this challenging obstacle, Earth Force provides a support-intensive model. However, I believe that we need to provide even more support, as expectations and pressures on teachers in Colorado continue to increase. In addition, several Earth Force teams started out studying energy, but later choose a different issue for their project. Due to the nature of Earth Force's Community Action and Problem Solving process, in particular the emphasis on youth voice, this is sometimes part of the process. With the drought looming as a very important issue here in Colorado, several groups decided to choose this as their issue once they completed their energy studies. Lessons Learned We have re-evaluated our teacher support model, and plan to add to the number of teacher contacts and support sessions that we offer for next year. Even though we have always recognized the importance of ongoing, on-site teacher support, especially since this project calls for teachers to become facilitators of a youth-driven process that is also content-specific, we know that we need to offer even more training and assistance. What Next? Earth Force plans to continue to offer a modified version of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program, and we will continue to work in conjunction with the Colorado Energy Science Center (CESC). Our training in August will introduce educators to the CAPS process. We will identify all educators who are interested in using energy as their content, or framework for their investigations. This will allow us to provide them with energy resources in addition to the CAPS materials, as well as connect them with CESC so that they may participate in the energy contest. The contest provides wonderful materials for conducting a home energy audit and many of the educators felt this was an appropriate place to begin their program. As we further develop the energy strand, we will share these materials and this model with other Earth Force sites in Florida, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie (PA), Chicago, and Detroit. FrontRange Earth Force Denver, Colorado, United States http://www.earthforce.org For more information about this grant, please contact the CEC Secretariat.