Hey Fellow Teachers, you know those flyers and info sheets
that you toss into the recycle bin as soon as you take
them out of your mailbox? Well, you just might want to
pay a little closer attention to them, especially the flyer
regarding the Igniting Creative Energy National Student
Challenge! I did just that last year and several remarkable
things happened for myself, and my students.
When I took a few minutes to read and understand what the
competition was all about, I realized that it would blend
quite easily with my current curriculum and create a unique
and exciting way to challenge my students. It asks students
to complete three tasks: 1) Learn how an individual's own
wise energy choices and environmental stewardship can help
reduce energy consumption and improve the community in
which they live, 2) Explore new and creative ways to make
a difference in the way you use energy, 3) Use your creative
talents to communicate your energy ideas and actions to
others.
When I first assigned this project, my students struggled
to know where to begin because of the open ended nature
of the competition. This is actually what I loved most
about the project! I was able to watch the progression
of students turn from frustration into new thoughts and
ideas, which were then researched, refined, re-thought,
questioned and analyzed, and finally then translated into
some very impressive final products! The parents were just
as excited as I was to see how their son/daughter’s
projects turned out and the project’s ended up dominating
the topic of conversation. The parents also spoke of how
they were making energy changes within their households
and noticed how little things did made a difference. This
is when I realized the impact of this project and how it
transcended beyond the classroom.
I was fortunate enough to be the winning teacher which
earned me two amazing trips. The first trip was to Hawaii
where we experienced the unique flora, fauna and ecosystems
of Maui, we went horseback riding down Mount Haleakala
(volcanic craters) and snorkeling at Molokini Crater. The
second trip was to Washington, D.C. for the National Energy
Efficiency Forum. At the Forum we were able to meet with
congressional leaders, listen to the keynote speaker, Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman, and the Wes Faulkerson,
the grand prize high school winner, performed his winning
song entry.
So the best way that I can explain it to you is to encourage
you to get your students involved in the Igniting Creative
Energy Challenge. You will be amazed at the expected and
unexpected outcomes when you ignite the creative energy
within your students and yourself.
