“My students care a lot about climate change,” said educator Michel Ohly, with Leslie Ellis School in Arlington, Massachusetts. “I wanted to come here to learn about resources to encourage kids to find their voice and know they can make a difference.” Michel was one of nine educators who joined the Department of Energy, MIT, and KidWind for the second annual C3E science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers’ workshop on November 17 at the Museum of Science.
This hands-on and interactive workshop focused on clean energy and provided each teacher with a hands-on training experience from MIT, Museum of Science, KidWind, and the Department of Energy, with best practices for teaching a clean energy curriculum.
“We are honored the Department of Energy selected the Museum of Science to conduct their C3E workshop. The Museum is dedicated to sustainability and several of our EIE curricular units focus on energy & conservation design challenges," noted Lesley Kennedy, Museum Manager, Teacher PD.
After KidWind walked teachers through the basics of wind energy (check out these Massachusetts stats), participants built model wind turbines to explore blade design and lead future similar activities in their classrooms. If you’re a teacher or parent looking for great wind energy education resources, check out this inside look (via GoPro!) of a turbine, the WindExchange website, and our Wind for Schools program to install a turbine at your school.
Teachers had time to tour the Museum of Science, including the Catching the Wind exhibit on the ways wind turbines are transforming the energy sector and landscape, Conserve @ Home about energy savings tips and usage at home, and Energized!, a walk through energy in our everyday lives. In the Theatre of Electricity, the teachers watched the world’s largest indoor lightening show, and they dropped by the Educator Resource Center to get more details about the center’s offerings for teachers.
Lunch was coupled with innovation share time for teachers to exchange information about their clean energy education resources. “It’s always great to talk to the other teachers and compare notes,” said teacher Lisa Troy, the Sustainability Coordinator and Middle School teacher at The Sage School in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Melinda Higgins, Established Scientist/Science Technology Policy Fellow with the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, walked educators through the Girls of Energy microsite, and the content for educators on energy sources, energy efficiency, safety and security, and innovative technologies. Melinda, a former teacher herself for over 20 years, also showed teachers how to use the smartphone microscope designed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff for learning in the classroom.
For more about C3E and teacher resources, visit /STEM
