BPA employee volunteers are available to make presentations to classrooms throughout our service territory. Presentations are about an hour long, and can be tailored for age and classroom curricula. To schedule, contact education coordinator Christy Adams at
cfadams@bpa.gov K - 3rd grade
Presentations for early elementary grades include a short talk about electricity and where it comes from, along with a puppet show, coloring activity, or other hands-on activity.
4th - 8th grade
Presentations for late elementary/middle school include a 10 minute interactive presentation that covers the power system in the Northwest, how the hydroelectric dams work, and the benefits of hydropower. This is followed by a 50 minute hands-on activity on one of three topics: How to Build a Turbine, How to Build a Motor, or The Great Marble Drop. Each activity demonstrates the engineering/scientific method. Students are presented with a problem, they develop a solution, test it, and then make refinements and share their results.
High School/College
Presentations for high schoolers are available and can be tailored to classroom needs. Topics include Renewable Energy, the Energy Grid and How it Works, Smart Grid, Energy in the News, and Careers in Energy and Engineering.
National Engineers Month
This program sends professional engineers and scientists out to classrooms to showcase careers in engineering and technology. Classrooms can register for this program by going to the NEM website.