Energy Awareness Month
What are your students doing to celebrate Energy Awareness Month? Each year, the U.S. Department of Energy designates October as Energy Awareness Month. During the month, many schools undertake energy efficiency and conservation activities. These classroom activities connect well to student homes as many families approach the winter heating season. Using energy wisely makes sense…
Read MoreDominion Energy Wind for Schools
Hampton Roads Students Harness the Power of Wind, Thanks to NEED and Dominion Energy Thanks to a partnership between the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation and the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, two Hampton Roads schools received a 30-foot-tall micro wind turbine to demonstrate the production of wind energy. The schools also received solar panels and two 12-volt…
Read MoreDecarbonization
The term “decarbonization” is popping up everywhere. But what does it mean? Decarbonization is a method of climate change mitigation used for removal or reduction of carbon dioxide output into the atmosphere. Much of what I hear and read about decarbonization is focused on the cost associated with reducing CO2 emissions through efficiency upgrades, such as installing…
Read MorePECO Summer Internship
You may find yourself asking, what does a day in the life of a NEED and Exelon Foundation STEM Academy scholar look like? Luckily, I am here to help! My name is Emily Curran, and I am a class of 2026 Exelon Foundation STEM Academy scholar and a sophomore at Villanova University studying computer engineering…
Read MorePG&E Career Exploration Week
NEED loves creating opportunities for students to work with mentors to learn about exciting careers in energy. In July, we piloted a new model program in two communities called “PG&E Career Exploration Week” and we’re delighted with the outcome. A program for rising seniors at Edison High School in Fresno brought students to three different…
Read MoreEnergy Education in San Pedro
This past Friday (February 10, 2023), NEED provided an engaging energy education workshop in San Pedro, CA with 33 K-12 classroom teachers and educators from local Boys and Girls Clubs. This workshop was sponsored by Phillips 66. The workshop was held in the offices of Sharefest on the 7th floor of the historic San Pedro…
Read More2022 California Science Educator Conference
2022 California Science Education Conference Reflection from a long-time attendee, presenter, and exhibitor. Hooray! Just in time, the return of the annual conference for California Science Educators! After a two-year pandemic-driven hiatus from in-person conferences, CASE was able to bring back the event that means so much to our energy education organization, and especially to…
Read MoreIt Makes “Cents”
There are many things we can do to use less energy and use it more wisely. These things involve energy conservation and energy efficiency. Although many people use these two terms interchangeably, they have different meanings. Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less energy. Energy efficiency is the use of…
Read MorePG&E Summer High School Fellowship
PG&E Summer Fellowship Program Wraps Up! PG&E and NEED just wrapped up a mostly virtual Summer Fellowship program for twenty high school juniors and seniors from throughout the Pacific Gas and Electric Company service area, California’s largest utility company. What’s a Fellowship? PG&E offers a rich variety of college and career preparation programming, including scholarships…
Read MorePrince of Darkness over Phantom Loads
Blog Series #3 by Jim Brown “Hey! It’s the Energy Guy!” said one of the group of teachers walking out of the building. “My lights are off!” exclaimed another. On another day I was greeted with “Hey Mr. Brown, you’d be proud of me. I’ve been making sure the lights are off in the Athletic…
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