The Fremont Department of Utilities Provides Energy Education Program to Local Elementary School Students
ENERGY DETECTIVES, the energy education program introduced several years ago in Fremont schools will again be offered by the Department of Utilities. Fifth grade teachers and students at Johnson Crossing, Trinity and Archbishop Bergan Schools will participate during the academic year and with teacher feedback solicited at the conclusion of the program. The no cost program provides the students and their families with practical knowledge of environmental issues and offers tools to increase energy and water efficiency at home while decreasing monthly utility bills.
Each student receives 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 learn together as they installed various devises for immediate energy savings. They audit existing energy and water usage. They measure results and learn new family habits. In one activity, students replace 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 involves a water aerator installed on the kitchen faucet. It shows students how to save water and their parents how to save money!
ENERGY DETECTIVES is funded by the Fremont Department of Utilities.
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.