Mill Gets Local Students Outside at
UW-Stevens Point's Treehaven!
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Tomahawk, Wisconsin is home to one of the Packaging Corporation of America’s (PCA) mills. In the late 1990s, PCA’s Tomahawk Mill employees found a way to get their children outside and connecting with nature and local history.
The Mill began partnering with Treehaven, a field station with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources that integrates management, research, and education. With this partnership the Mill provides financial support to Tomahawk School District for 4th grade students at Tomahawk Elementary School and St. Mary’s Catholic School to visit Treehaven three times a year: once in the fall, winter, and spring.
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“...this experience is vitally important for the sustainability of our future and these kids are the key to make that happen.” -
Adam Gessler, 4th Grade Teacher, St. Mary's Catholic School
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Brian Gibbs, Treehaven Program Manager, says the multiple visits allow students “to develop a sense of place and identify with nature so much closer than just a one-day field trip.” While at Treehaven, 4
th graders get to enjoy topics and experiences such as animal ecology, snowshoeing, natural history hikes, and shelter building.
Not only do students enjoy the experiences, but the teachers are appreciative of Gibbs’s effort to connect the trips to the classroom. “Our [Tomahawk Elementary School’s] focus is on bringing classroom learning to life so students see the importance and connection to both the "real world" and the classroom,” said Tomahawk Elementary School 4
th Grade Teacher, Rebecca Moe. The Mill also sends a representative to meet students so they understand what PCA is and more about the partnership.
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This fall, Treehaven added an energy component for the 4
th grade trip by partnering with the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS). Students were able to explore where energy comes from, the evidences of energy, and how it flows through the environment around us.
WPS provided all students with a conservation kit to help students bring energy conservation home. Adam Gessler, a 4
th grade teacher at St. Mary’s Catholic School, appreciated this great partnership adding the hands-on, energy lessons. Gessler said “this experience is vitally important for the sustainability of our future and these kids are the key to make that happen.”
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We Energies Gives Bradley Tech Students Hands-on Experience
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Through a partnership between We Energies and Bradley Tech High School, students are given the opportunity to earn an internship and college credit with the company.
In October, 30 students got hands-on experience with professional We Energies line mechanics in a part of the partnership called Demo Days. Demo Days, which also include hands-on experiences with the design engineer and gas line programs, allow students to work side-by-side with We Energies professionals and get a feel for what it's like to be in their profession.
Read the entire story>>
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Energize Your Leaders: 2020 Energy Educator of the Year Awards
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Do you know an educator who champions energy education and efficiency efforts in your K-12 community? Each year, the
Energy Educator of the Year Awards recognize and reward exemplary educators who have made energy education a priority in their teaching and outreach initiatives, serving as role models and empowering students, teachers and community members to adopt energy-saving behaviors and participate in energy solutions.
Two awardees will be selected to receive $1,000 and honored at the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education's
Celebration of Excellence Awards Banquet, an annual gathering in recognition of environmental education leaders from throughout Wisconsin.
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Upcoming Professional
Development
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The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) is here to help you integrate environmental education into your curriculum and increase the sustainability of your school community.
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Exploring Solar Energy at Treehaven
Explore Treehaven’s solar energy generation through inquiry activities using the online dashboard as well as a full body demonstration. Join the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) to discover new ways to connect students to their place by introducing them to their solar resource and how solar benefits their community.
Location: Treehaven, Tomahawk
Date: Sunday, January 19
This workshop is part of the Winter Workshop hosted by the
Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
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Forest Health and Energy Connection: Leveraging Your School Site to Save Energy, West Bend School District
Join LEAF and KEEP to explore the intersection between energy conservation and forest health. Your urban forest is a powerful tool improving your community’s air and water quality, reducing heating and cooling needs, and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. We’ll demonstrate how to conduct tree inventories on your school grounds then apply the ecosystem benefits derived to evaluate your school building’s energy management opportunities. You’ll become connected to two online civic science tools for the classroom, the Wisconsin Community Tree Map from the WDNR and PLT’s Teaching with i-Tree, as well as receive training using professional forestry and energy tools available for loan to your school. The workshop will include time for school site assessment and lesson planning, and a variety of ready-to-use activities and tools will be supplied so educators can integrate relevant lessons right away. Recommended for educators of grades 5-12.
Location: West Bend
Date & Time: February 1 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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Customizable Workshops for Your Organization or School
KEEP can offer a 2-7 hour workshop or In-service for your district customized for your needs and professional development goals. Increase energy literacy and inquiry in students as you develop new strategies to engage your students in hands-on activities. Contact
KEEP for more information about fees and to schedule a workshop in your district today.
Substitute reimbursements up to $125/teacher may be available.
Potential titles include:
- BioEnergy Education
- Discovering Energy in Nature
- Energize Your Curriculum with Renewable Energy
- Increasing Student Engagement and Literacy Skills through Energy
- Place-based Learning: Engaging Students in Sustainability
- Utilizing the School Building as a Teaching Tool: Investigations in Energy Efficiency
- Solar Energy Education: Using Your School's Solar Dashboard
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Funding from the following providers supports KEEP programming
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