Energy Smarts

Introduction

Within the web page "Powerful Careers" you and your students can learn about the variety of careers in the field of energy resource management. Once you become aware of the plethora of jobs related to energy, the next question might be how to get one. This page provides ideas for schooling and training to increase your knowledge and skills in energy. Even if you don't choose a career that directly relates to energy resource management, many of the learning opportunities presented here will help increase your energy literacy and how you manage energy at home and at work.

Terms to Know

Energy literacy - Within the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program, energy literacy involves a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the concepts outlined in our Conceptual Framework. Energy literacy consists of
1. appreciating the need for energy,
2. knowing where and how energy resources are developed and used,
3. analyzing the effects (positive and negative) of energy resource development and consumption, and
4. being willing and able to take actions that support sustainable energy resource management and consumption.

Green campus - a college or university that teaches about and models (through its physical structures) sustainable living practices and policies.

Internship - A program, often offered for credit through a university or college, where students are temporarily employed by a community business or organization. During their employment they gain "on the job" training and experience.

Service learning - an experiential education method that involves combined classroom instruction with meaningful community service.
 

Classroom Ideas

Guest Speakers and Fieldtrips

1. Click here to find contacts for guest speakers and field trips in your area.
 

Activities and Lessons
1. Have students interview individuals who work in energy-related fields to accumulate a list of skills related to energy resource management. Students can determine if they gain these skills while at high school and what advanced training, education, or experience they would need for any of these careers.
Sample Academic Standards Addressed:
          Business K12.1 Assess and analyze personal talents and interests as they relate to career decisions.

Student Projects
1. Involve students in a service learning project related to energy management. Contact a local business or organization to see if they have a community project related to energy that could use student participation.

Sample Academic Standards Addressed:
           Environmental Education E.12.3 Take action in regard to environmental issues in the home, school, or communities
           Technology Education B.12.8 Select resources for specific applications, apply appropriate process to transform them to useful products and services, evaluate the end results, and make modifications as necessary.

2. Involve students in an Energy Issue Investigation and Action Project.

3. Have students make a Science Fair presentation about their research. 

Support Materials

Websites

Schooling and Training

Visit the Department of Energy' site www.energy.gov/foreducators.htm for an overview of resources for educators.  They also provide resources for students: www.energy.gov/forstudentsandkids.htm

Most Wisconsin universities www.wisconsin.edu/campuses/index.htm and technical colleges www.witechcolleges.com/ offer courses about renewable energy resource management and policy and several offer degrees in energy-related fields. Visit the Focus on Energy's website Renewable Energy Education and Training Opportunities in Wisconsin.

Check out www.graduateguide.com/ to find grad schools that offer training in energy. Also explore the University of Wisconsin's Energy Analysis and Policy Curriculum and the Wisconsin Solar Energy Lab.

The University of Montana College of Technology recently introduced a new program in Energy Technology.  This is an Associate's of Applied Science degree.  It has all of its courses online, though some are available on the campus.  http://ace.cte.umt.edu/programs/energy.html

BrainTrack is the oldest and most complete online directory of the world's universities and colleges. The website is an index of international links and an information reference for more than 10,000 higher education institutions in 194 countries. Do a search for energy to find institutions.

Green Campuses

Alliance to Save Energy offers a website with an overview of green campuses nationwide: http://ase.org/programs/green-campus-program
Here is a link to see a report on Wisconsin campuses energy efficiency initiatives: www.wisconsin.edu/news/2006/06-2006/jun08_energyConservation-DOA.pdf

Internships and Service Learning

The Department of Energy offers the following website as a guide to internships and scholarships in energy: www.energy.gov/scholarships&internships.htm 

Here are a couple service learning sites that might involve energy-related experiences:

www.learnandserve.gov/home/site_map/index.asp

Provides funding and training to service-learning programs, Learn and Serve grants are made possible by the Corporation for National Service.

www.servicelearning.org/

Supports Learn and Serve grantees, as well as other programs engaged in service-learning through the collection and dissemination of information and materials.