Dear KEEP community,

With policies like the extension of the federal investment tax credit on residential solar that congress passed in August, there is no time like now to prepare our youth for a clean energy future. KEEP has many opportunities this fall for educators and students to boost their skills in renewable energy, explore career opportunities here in Wisconsin and find funding for school renewable energy projects. 

KidWind Challenge Educator Workshop

The Wisconsin Energy Institute and KEEP are joining together again to bring the KidWind Educator Workshop to you! Join us and learn how to explore the power of wind and solar with your students! Participants will review energy and electricity basics, design and test blades in a wind tunnel, use KEEP's newest lending resource, Solar Tilt Kits, and preview ready-to-use energy lessons and activities.

During this half-day workshop, participants will learn about the annual WI KidWind Challenge and gain tips and tricks for coaching student teams through the process of designing and constructing small-scale turbines. Educators will leave with the resources and confidence to use renewable energy as a lens for hands-on science, technology, and engineering exploration in the classroom (and you'll get some free gear, too)!

KidWind and KEEP Solar Tilt Kits are recomended for 4-12th grade students. Certificates of attendance and substitute reimbursement to school districts (up to $150/educator) will be provided upon request.  

Date: October 19 | 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Location: Eau Claire Boys & Girls Club

Cost:$15

KEEP Energy Audit Kit Training

KEEP has partnered with CESA 3 to bring a NEW Energy Audit Kit to the area! During this workshop participants will learn how to use energy measurement tools in the kit to conduct a school building energy audit, participate in a mini audit of a school building to determine baseline energy data to guide conservation practices and discuss how to extend use of the Energy Audit Kit to outdoor learning spaces. 

Additional resources that will be shared:

Pedal Power, Solar Tilt Kit, guided exploration of the DPI Energy Career Pathway and access KEEP digital resources that support Clean Energy Careers. 

Date: October 28 | 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.

Location: Wauzeka-Steuben School, Wauzeka

Cost:$15 (Free for schools in CESA 3)

Storytime - If I were a Lineworker, Read Aloud

Bring your K-2 students to the virtual Wisconsin Science Festival event. Students will meet two professional lineworkers who will share information about their jobs, show students safety and professional tools, and read the book, "If I Were a Lineworker." Readers will be available for Q&A from classrooms.

Date: October 11 | 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. (Virtual)

MeterHero – AP Environmental Science Enhancement

MeterHero is an award-winning curriculum enhancement for high school environmental science. By empowering students to collect, analyze, and act upon their own utility data in partnership with their local energy provider, MeterHero provides real-life application of scientific practices in a way that aligns with course content: Land and Water Use as well as Energy Resources and Consumption.

The program is an ideal hands-on final project for the weeks after the AP exam.

During the interactive virtual training, teachers will:

• experience student activities such as reading utility meters 
• view example finished student projects
• get questions answered

Dates: October 13 | 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. (virtual)

Cost: KEEP is pleased to sponsor 10 schools to receive training and implement MeterHero in their environmental science classes.

Energy Education: Concepts & Practices

Participants will gain fundamental knowledge of energy while participating in this self-paced online module which addresses energy concepts relating to energy definitions, natural laws of energy, energy flows in living and non-living systems, and their relationships to understanding and evaluating environmental issues. Module activities include exploration of energy readings and pertinent websites, home activities such as reading utility bills, home energy audits, and calculating the wattages of various home appliances.

Recommended for K-12 educators.

Date: Online module available on-demand

Cost: $25

Solar Energy Potential: Dashboard Technology as a Teaching Tool for Inquiry

KEEP's solar dashboard-based inquiry activities are designed for exploration of geographic and seasonal differences in solar power production. Whether or not your school has a solar array, solar PV generation dashboards are a powerful way to bring the topic of renewable energy to life in the classroom. Discover the benefits of using solar dashboards, electricity generation data, and pre-made online maps to connect concepts of spatial thinking, scientific inquiry, and data literacy.

Recommended for 5th-12th grade educators.

Date: Online module available on-demand

Cost: $25

Wisconsin Association of Environmental Education

Join KEEP at WAEE's Annual Conference and Celebration of Excellence in Environmental Education on November 3 as we celebrate the 2022 Energy Educators of the Year. Visit us at the WCEE exhibit table or attend one of our sessions during the live conference, November 4-5. 

Careers

Climate Fast Forward – Monona Terrace, Madison – October 17

Wisconsin Association of Environmental Education – Milwaukee area – November 3-5

Better Buildings Better Business (B4) – Stevens Point – December 6

Published for Fall 2022