Exelon Generation, in partnership with the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, launched a STEM-focused energy program for schools in its plant communities in five states. The program is focused on helping schools meet Next Generation Science Standards or state science standard goals, engage students in learning about energy within STEM, and help energize the energy workforce of tomorrow.
Called Energizing Student Potential (ESP), the partnership provides a suite of programs to engage and educate teachers and students alike, with an emphasis on the science and industry of energy. The initiative serves students in grades 4 through 8 – a critical time for laying the foundation for careers in STEM fields, including energy.
ESP is designed to empower students to explore opportunities in STEM fields and help them discover their own paths to innovation through a variety of classroom subjects. Curricula focus on the science of energy, sources of energy, electricity generation and transmission, transportation, efficiency and conservation, and use a proven model designed by NEED to achieve measurable results.
In Oswego County, the program began yesterday at the Nine Mile Point Learning Center with a free, hands-on STEM and energy workshop for 18 educators representing Oswego, Mexico, Fulton, Central Square and Brewerton schools and continues throughout the academic year with events and activities for teachers and students. Teachers receive free print materials and teaching guides, standards alignment, hands-on kits and materials for students, and program support. They also receive refresher trainings during the school year.
Among its programs, ESP will provide free, half-day energy audits of participating schools, where students work alongside energy experts to make their schools more energy efficient. The partnership also will arrange student field trips, science fairs and celebrations throughout the academic year to further engage students' classroom learning with real-world experiences. In addition to funding and facilitating ESP, JAF and NMP will be actively engaged in creating enrichment opportunities for students and teachers, including by having employee volunteers share their time and energy expertise. To introduce the teachers to just some of our talented workforce, representatives of the sites' Generation Nation, NAYGN and WIN groups joined the teachers for a networking lunch.
