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“The world of energy is no longer a field of only specialists, but a participatory world in which all citizens have to make informed choices about how energy is supplied and how they choose to use it”. RI Energy Plan, State Guide Plan Element 781
One of the missions of the Office of Energy Resources is to offer good and sound information on energy to all Rhode Islanders. Through the National Energy Education Development Project (NEED), OER has provided quality energy education materials to K-12 schools since 1991.
The mission of the NEED Project is to promote an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, business, government and community leaders to design and deliver objective, multi-sided energy education programs. The NEED Project is dedicated to developing innovative energy education materials and training programs for teachers and students. Launched by Congressional Resolution in 1980, the NEED Program is now a dynamic force in more than 7,000 schools in 38 states. NEED is a 501c (3) non-profit education association funded by Federal and state government grants, corporate contributions, and local sponsors.
The NEED Project’s non-biased information on all aspects of energy, including production, consumption, and economic and environmental effects, gives students an understanding of the interrelationship between energy and the environment. More important, NEED’s student-directed activities empower students to take active roles in educating their peers, families, and communities about energy issues and in identifying and solving problems unique to their communities. NEED’s Energy Management for Schools program also allows many schools to participate in saving vital energy dollars for their districts. These new programs are correlated to the U.S. DOE EnergySmart Schools initiatives.
It’s easy to become a member of RI NEED. Educators need to contact Charlie Hawkins of the Office of Energy Resources at 401-574-9124 for more details. OER sponsors four teacher/student day-long workshops during the fall and winter of the school year. These energy education workshops are grade appropriate and are usually hosted at Park View Middle School in Cranston, Rhode Island. At the workshops, teachers and four of their students are given tools to implement energy education programs in their classrooms and local communities. Educators are given over $400 worth of teaching materials FREE OF CHARGE at the end of the workshop. Some of the materials that teachers receive are:
Program contact:
Charlie Hawkins
Telephone: 401-574-9124
E-Mail: CHawkins@energy.ri.gov
RI NEED Lead Teachers:
Joanne Spaziano, Park View Middle School, Cranston
E-Mial: rid23242@ride.ri.net
Shannon Donovan, Scituate High School
E-Mail: sciencepup@hotmail.com
For questions on registration at any of the above workshops, please contact Charlie Hawkins at the Office of Energy Resources at 401-574-9124 or CHawkins@energy.ri.gov
