A YEAR IN REVIEW

Check out these highlights of some of what made this year so special!

The Exelon Foundation, ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, and BP America, in partnership with the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, launched Energizing Student Potential, a STEM-focused energy program for grades 5 - 8 in their respective customer regions in Illinois and Indiana in the 2015-2016 school year.

In 2016-2017, Energizing Student Potential launched in Washington, D.C. for District of Columbia Public Schools with support from Exelon Foundation and Pepco. Working with librarians and media specialists, the program welcomed 22 schools in January 2017.

In 2018 the program will expand again to include Montgomery County Public Schools (MD) and Prince George's County Schools (MD).

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In 2017, NEED partnered with PowerSouth to launch the EMPOWER program. This Energy Education Workshop provides an exciting opportunity to learn about electricity generation and distribution, with a focus on energy education and fun ways to integrate it into the classroom, using curriculum designed for students. Over 500 Alabama and Florida teachers partciipated in the two EMPOWER Workshops hosted in June and July.

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For ten years, PECO, The Franklin Institute and The NEED Project have partnered together to provide local schools with the PECO Energizing Education Program (PEEP). After great success in the first eight years, we knew it was time to bring some fresh opportunities to local schools for years nine and ten.

In 2017 PEEP 2.0 invited educators from across the Philadelphia region to participate in energy education workshops and receive hands-on kits for their classrooms. PEEP 2.0 also encouraged attendees to sign up for Educational Energy Audits for their schools. In addition, schools were invited to participate in the PECO Innovation Challenge – which engaged students in exploring energy and seeking solutions to energy challenges of today and tomorrow. The PECO Innovation Challenge participants came together in May to showcase their solutions at the PECO Innovation Challenge Showcase and STEM Career Symposium.

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This is the 14th year the NEED Project has teamed with the U.S. Energy Information Administration bringing together EIA participants to learn, collaborate, and experience an overview of various industries in the energy sector. Through a combination of local field trips and subject matter expert presenters from a wide range in the energy industry, the 2017-2018 program runs from November through April. There are typically 25-30 participants each year. From fieldtrips including touring a wind farm, stepping atop a 150-foot tall landfill, seeing a nuclear reactor up close, to guest presenters relaying their knowledge on topics such as the grid system, solar panels, and building science – each year brings a wonderful and unique opportunity for EIA employees to develop knowledge in areas of energy that are not necessarily core to their work area.

These are just a few of the great energy programs we have! Check out our Signature Programs page and the NEED calendar to see what workshops and programs we have going on in your area for 2018.

And of course a special thanks to our Partners and Sponsors for making this all possible!