Renewable energy training for middle school teachers
A new comprehensive, state-specific renewable energy education training program for teachers will be offered free at Hancock Shaker Village on Saturday, February 2. Energy Thinking, Energy Action is a workshop-style program geared toward teachers of grades 5 through 8. It is offered by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) with funding from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.This innovative unit, which meets the Massachusetts Science & Technology Standards, complements the Berkshire Bank BEST (Berkshire Environmental School Teams) program by integrating the study of energy into existing curriculum, with a strong focus on renewable energy. The workshop will feature hands-on activities using materials from a resource kit worth over $400 that will be available from CET for use in the classroom of participating educators. Teachers will also receive a professional development certificate for attending the workshop.
“Energy – where we get it and how we use it – can be expected to change radically during the lifetimes of our children. Through the Energy Thinking curriculum, teachers will be provided with the training and resources needed to bring a timely and comprehensive energy education program to their students. They will get the tools they need to present informed lessons and activities that explore the energy choices available in Massachusetts, and their positive and negative effects, so their students may be better prepared to address these issues in the future,” said Nancy Nylen, associate director of CET.
The training incorporates learning about energy resources, scientific and technological concepts of renewable energy, and ways to reduce energy consumption through hands-on activities including home and school energy investigations and renewable energy displays. As a culmination to the program, students will have the opportunity to highlight their projects at the region-wide Youth Environmental Summit in June 2008, and have the opportunity to educate other students and the broader community in the process.
The workshop will be presented by Chris Mason, who authored the Energy Thinking unit. Mason served as the Education Director for the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) for nine years. He has both engineering and education experience and a depth of knowledge about a wide variety of energy concepts. He is currently the Energy and Sustainability Officer for the City of Northampton.
To register for the workshop, or for additional information, call CET at 413-445-4556 ext. 25 or email cynthiag@cetonline.org.
CET is a non-profit organization working in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste management and environmental education. CET provides practical solutions that make sense for our community, economy and environment. CET is an equal opportunity service provider and is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
