Energy education for kids

June 1, 2009
For an oil and gas researcher, finding information on encouraging young people to get excited about the industry is not difficult.

For an oil and gas researcher, finding information on encouraging young people to get excited about the industry is not difficult.

Acergy UK Ltd., an offshore engineering and construction company based in London, recently opened its office in Westhill, Aberdeen, Scotland, to about 350 area schoolchildren to help inspire the industry’s next generation. The children were joined by older pupils from Westhill Academy to gain an insight into the industry.

“We hope the pupils have not only an improved understanding of the sector and the issues it faces but are also more aware of its importance and how they could potentially contribute in a few years,” said Graham Meil, Acergy managing director.

This 1-day event divided children into 55 teams, allowing them to engage in team-building, problem-solving, and understanding industry topics. There were presentations on key subjects, including the global significance of energy, alternative power sources, and the importance of communication.

Beyond this hands-on approach are other methods and resources to educate children on energy industry topics.

Online information

The US Energy Information Administration encourages children to learn about energy through its Energy Kid’s Page. This page contains energy facts and history, games, conversion calculators, classroom activities, links to other educational sites, and a glossary.

The energy facts are in a quick-take format on topics such as renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy, electricity, hydrogen, uses of energy, the science of energy, and saving energy.

The Energy Ant is the tour guide for the page and even takes children on various field trips. The ant presents a travel log of energy locations such as BP’s Carson refinery and Hoover Dam Hydroelectric Plant while providing historical and operations information on the facilities using nontechnical explanations.

The kid’s page explains energy slang, including everyday words with specialized meanings in the industry such as “pig,” “can,” “christmas tree,” and “wildcat.” It defines 24 terms with a visual of each word.

Competitions, scholarships

The US Department of Energy has a section on its web site dedicated to students and children that offers details on contests, competitions, scholarships, and internships.

One competition is the Junior Solar Sprint/Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car competition. Middle school teams work together to build solar or hydrogen fuel cell cars with guidance from a parent or teacher to compete in race and design categories.

A Spirit Award is also presented to the team recognized for good sportsmanship. Building solar and hydrogen fuel cell cars for the competition requires skills in both math and science. The primary goals of the program are to generate enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and math at a crucial stage in the development of young people. The competition also helps improve students’ understanding of scientific concepts and renewable energy technologies while encouraging them to consider technical careers at an early age.

This section of the site also provides a long list of scholarships and internships as well as links to several other energy-related web sites for young people.

Resources for educators

American Petroleum Institute, in partnership with Project Learning Tree, an award-winning environmental education organization, has developed the “Energy and Society” K-8 education program. The program’s multidisciplinary education materials help students understand the critical role energy plays in their lives. Program components include a music CD, dance video, posters, study guide, and web site. The CD is a collection of 15 energy-related songs such as “Energy & Me” and “We Can Save Energy” by Billy B., a natural science song and dance man. The video features dances to five of the songs.

API has also teamed up with the American Association for the Advancement of Science to create a series of online lesson plans and interactive modules focusing on the mechanics and complexities of energy transformation and on the technological advancements being made in energy conversion. The series has separate sets of lessons for grades 6-8 and grades 9-12.

US Minerals Management Service also has a kid’s page on its web site with a role-playing exercise called “Watts it to you?” Students assume the role of a government official, energy company executive, environmentalist, and local business person to work together to develop a county energy plan to increase the amount of electricity produced locally.

These resources mentioned are just a taste of what is available to promote learning about energy and to inspire young people to become involved in the energy industry.