ENERGY DETECTIVES, the energy education program introduced last year in Fremont schools will again be offered by the Department of Utilities. Fifth grade teachers and students at Howard, Linden, Trinity and Archbishop Bergan Grade Schools participated during the previous academic year and teacher feedback was extremely positive. The no cost program provided the students and their families with practical knowledge of environmental issues and offered tools to increase energy and water efficiency at home while decreasing monthly utility bills.
Each student received their own Energy Detective Kit filled with valuable tools and products as part of the hands-on energy education program. In the home, the student and their family learned together as they installed various devises for immediate energy savings. They audited existing energy and water usage. They measured results and learned new family habits. In one activity, students replaced a traditional incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent lamp. A compact fluorescent lamp can last up to ten times longer and use 75 percent less energy than a regular incandescent light bulb. This small change can equal big savings. Another activity involved a water aerator installed on the kitchen faucet. It showed students how to save water and their parents how to save money! See Fremont – NEO SY10-11 Energy Detective Program Summary Report for the exciting results of last year’s participation!
ENERGY DETECTIVES is jointly funded by the Fremont Department of Utilities and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act administered by the Nebraska Energy Office.
This year’s program will continue to teach a variety of measurable energy and water savings practices addressing renewable and non-renewable resources, energy generation history and energy saving practices. The interactive, hands-on, at home projects key to the success of the program will also be returning.
Students are eligible for this year’s no-cost energy education program by attending a school in the Fremont Department of Utilities’ service area. The curriculum, which meets Nebraska’s State Education Standards for Science and Math, has been developed by Resource Action Programs, a national leader in providing energy education materials. www.getwise.org