The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project began “over 35 years ago as a one-day celebration of energy education when National Energy Education Day was recognized by a Joint Congressional Resolution. In the same year, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation stressing the need for comprehensive energy education in our schools, a reduction of our dependence of fossil fuels, and increasing use of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency.”

This year, MCPS school library media programs partnered with The Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to bring resources to educators so that they may teach their students with their awesome hands-on learning activities.  This past year, my 5^th grade students enjoyed the ESP lessons, and were able to present their anemometer and windmill projects, and demonstrate wind energy with our KidWind turbines, at our school’s STEM Night and Science Fair in April. 

This coming year, I hope to start an Earth Conservation afterschool program for my 4^th and 5^th grade students that will include the NEED.org energy lessons, as well as others that focus on the Three R’s – reduce, reuse, and recycle.   My goal is for them to submit their year-long project to NEED.org for consideration in the Youth Awards Program.

At the 2018 National Energy Conference for Educators in Galveston Island, Texas, we were able experience the ESP lessons with the dynamic NEED.org facilitators, and the networking opportunities were invaluable.  The friendships that I made with educators in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Massachusetts will hopefully be lifelong! I am looking forward to a long partnership with NEED.org !