Unless you’re a student, you may never get to experience one of our awesome presentations. So, let me invite you on a behind-the-scenes look at my day as an Energy Educator!
After lots of professional development training put on by the pros at the National Energy Foundation (NEF), I am ready to start presenting! The day starts by putting on my NEF or sponsor-branded polo and packing up my electronics, props, and positive attitude! My partner and I set up our equipment and it’s time for the best part of the day!
Presentation Time!
We teach students all about renewable and non-renewable resources, electrical generation circuits, energy efficient behaviors and energy safety! Students are always interested to hear what resources their local utility uses to provide power to their homes. We incorporate lots of hands-on activities, like the Energy Stick. The Energy Stick lights up and makes noise whenever it’s part of a complete circuit. Students learn about conductors and insulators by trying different ways to get the Energy Stick to light up.
Interacting with students is the best part of my job. The students always come to talk to us after the presentation. Usually, I get to hear about how they’re going to tell their families what they learned. Or, I get to witness the “a-ha” moment when a student tells me they now understand why their parent always reminds them to turn off the lights and shut the fridge. These interactions are what make my job so rewarding. It’s also great to hear wonderful comments from teachers who are thankful to us for giving students a different way to engage with the curriculum. We always make sure to shows students the program website and leave them with their student activity booklets so they can continue the learning and fun at home.
At the end of the day, my co-presenter and I pass along the positive comments we received to the NEF team so they know how many people appreciate their hard work! Time to get home and relax before another busy day of providing the best energy education for our students, teachers, families and sponsors!
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