ECD Announces 2011 Energy Camps for K-12 Teachers
Statewide Camps Help Teachers Design Energy Conservation Education Programs
NASHVILLE – Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty and ECD’s Energy Policy Office announced today that applications are now available online for the 2011 Energy Camps. The three-day educational sessions provide K-12 teachers with the information and resources needed to teach the science of energy and energy conservation in the classroom and to guide students in becoming leaders in their school and community.
“Governor Bill Haslam has clearly stated Tennessee’s ability to provide young people with an excellent education and ‘real world’ skills will have a direct bearing on our ability to create jobs and attract investment,” said Commissioner Hagerty. “In the coming decades, how we create and utilize energy will become an important component of economic growth and these camps help teachers begin to educate young people about that issue.”
K-12 teachers are invited to apply for one of the following three camps: Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, June 1-3; Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, June 7-9; or the Pickwick Landing State Park Inn in Pickwick Dam, June 14-16. Teams of two teachers per school will work together at the camps to develop and conduct an energy education program.
Teams selected to participate in Energy Camp will be provided with complementary lodging and meals and will receive a $500 reimbursable grant to help fund each school’s energy education program. Applications are available online at http://www.tennessee.gov/ecd/CD_energy_education.html and are due by April 16.
The Energy Camps will address required curriculum standards and help teachers integrate energy activities into not only science, but math, language arts, social studies and visual and performing arts lessons. The Camps will focus on creating real-world situations in the classroom and collecting and analyzing data, in order to evaluate and improve the school’s energy usage. The 2011 Energy Camps will also include a trip to a nearby energy facility, including a coal mine, a fossil fuel power plant and a hydroelectric dam for hands-on discussions.
For more information, contact the Energy Hotline, 800-342-1340, or Ramona Nelson, 731-426-0536 or Ramona.Nelson@tn.gov.
About the Office of Energy Policy
ECD’s Energy Policy division offers a broad range of energy efficiency programs to businesses and industry, state and local governments, and schools and residential customers through grants from the United States Department of Energy. All programs focus on energy efficiency measures and promote energy cost and dollar savings. These technical and financial assistance programs and services have helped implement projects that reduce energy bills, improve facilities and increase productivity.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to create higher skilled, better paying jobs for all Tennesseans. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. To find out more, go to www.tn.gov/ecd or www.investtennessee.org.
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Contact: Valerie Somerville
Office: (615) 532-1925
E-mail: valerie.somerville@tn.gov