Minnesota utility enlists partners to create wind power curriculum

Classroom wind kit increases student awareness of renewable energy.

Collaboration between Great River Energy, Laurentian Environmental Center, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Minnesota Department of Commerce has given Minnesota teachers a new tool for educating the next generation of consumers about renewable energy.

"The Windy Classroom" is a multidisciplinary curriculum designed to help students understand wind-generated energy. “We’re always looking for ways to partner with other organizations to increase awareness of renewable energy,” said Mary Jo Roth, manager of Great River’s environmental services department.

Roth believes that the project attracted different groups because of its potential to reach so many people. “It’s amazing how much consumers learn from their children,” she observed.

Great River and LEC share commitment to conservation

A grant from the Energy Department, obtained through the Minnesota Department of Commerce, made "The Windy Classroom" project possible. The Elk River, Minn., electric utility provided additional funding and technical assistance, and LEC supplied the education expertise. “Laurentian was a natural choice,” Roth said. “They are in the business of environmental education and designing curricula.”

Naturalist Kristi Sopoci, who developed the curriculum with Senior Naturalist Jim DeVries, agrees with Roth that the project dovetails with LEC’s philosophy. “Part of our mission is to help the public understand responsible resource management,” she explained. “The curriculum encourages students to take a practical look at their energy consumption, ways to conserve and long-term solutions to our reliance on one source of energy.”

Curriculum meets state education standards

At the first training session, held in February 2002, teachers learned renewable energy basics and how to use the traveling classroom kit that is an integral part of the curriculum. The kit contains books, videos and a CD-ROM, as well as a real 400-watt turbine with a cutaway design and additional parts so students can build their own turbine.

The curriculum targets high school students, although teachers can adapt it for middle and elementary schools. Aligned with the “Environmental Systems” Minnesota graduation standard, "The Windy Classroom" incorporates such subjects as science, economics and social studies and can be covered in nine lessons.

The first lessons present the “big picture” by defining energy, explaining transmission and storage and looking at the pros and cons of a variety of renewable and non-renewable sources. The second half of the curriculum focuses specifically on wind generation, including discussions of green power programs in Minnesota and how students can make choices to create an energy efficient household.

Member co-ops send teachers to learn about wind power

A total of 22 participants attended the first workshop, including 18 classroom teachers, representatives from the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the American Wind Energy Association, and the executive director from Communities for Responsible Energy/Environment Demonstrations.

Many teachers were sponsored by Great River member co-ops. Brown County Rural Electric Association, Connexus Energy, Crow Wing Power, Federated Rural Electric Association, Lake Region Electric Cooperative, South Central Electric Association, and Todd Wadena Electric Cooperative each sent a participant. Lake Country Power sponsored 10 teachers as part of its community outreach program. In addition to sponsoring a teacher, Moorhead Public Service purchased a classroom kit.

Another five utilities have committed to sending teachers from their service area to the next training, scheduled for early 2003. “We set up the program in the hope that members would send teachers and buy kits to loan to schools,” said Roth. “So far, the response has been excellent. Great River has already received requests from schools to borrow our kit.”

LEC plans 2003 'Windy Classroom' workshop

The interest in "The Windy Classroom" doesn’t surprise Sopoci. “Teachers may not have time to research the subject or build their own kits, but if you give them something appropriate to the grade level that presents the subject in an exciting way and is easy to use, they’ll want it.”

She and DeVries spent a year researching and designing the curriculum. Evaluations from workshop participants and feedback from the classroom will help them fine-tune the course. LEC has scheduled the next teacher training workshop for February 2003.

Great River Energy currently offers its co-op member customers a wind power purchase option from 6 megawatts generated at the Chandler Hills Wind Farm. Its renewables portfolio will expand by another 21 megawatts when an additional construction project is completed next year. Roth is optimistic that the workshop and the curriculum will create more customer interest at the same time. “There are costs associated with green power,” she said, “but the more people understand about alternative energy sources, the more they will value them.”

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