About the Workshops
Citizen Power offers FREE teacher-training workshops in western Pennsylvania designed to familiarize middle and secondary level educators with renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies. Our advocacy experience has taught us that there is a need to ensure that future decision makers understand how our energy use affects our health and environment, and how we must work towards smart and healthy solutions for future increased global energy needs challenged by decreasing traditional fuel resources. We want citizens and future leaders to recognize the critical importance of increasing the use of renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies and understand how these technologies work. We offer three different workshops at this time:
Sustainable Energy Workshop I: Energy Smart Schools, Wind Energy, and Solar Photovoltaics
Sustainable Energy Workshop II: Solar Thermal Technologies
Wind Farm & Technology Fieldtrip
Teachers get hands-on experience and take home equipment and resources to share these technologies in the classroom. Because Citizen Power is a Pennsylvania Department of Education Approved Provider, our professional development opportunities are eligible for Act 48 continuing education credit. Educators who have attended our workshops find great value in the experience, and evaluation responses have expressed much appreciation for the useful resources provided. Sustainable Energy Workshop I is not a prerequisite for Sustainable Energy Workshop II. To see the PA Standards and Anchors the workshop content corresponds to, click here.
Host a Workshop
If you are a teacher, school district, intermediate unit or environmental or community-serving organization interested in having Citizen Power conduct a workshop, contact Program Manager Janice Serra for more information. Workshop content and length can be customized to meet your needs. A minimum of 16 teachers must register for the workshop to take place.
Contact Janice Serra at [email protected] or 412-421-7029 to find out more about the program.
Sustainable Energy Workshop I: Energy Smart Schools, Wind Energy & Solar Photovoltaics (original workshop)
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Teachers will gain knowledge and hands-on experience with renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies to introduce Energy Smart Schools, Solar Energy, and Wind Energy to the classroom. The workshop is FREE and participants receive six Act 48 credit hours, lunch, and over $140 of teaching resources and “toys” including: a functional model wind turbine, a solar energy kit, a multi-meter, an LED light bulb, a Kill-A-Watt Meter, a resource binder and flashdrive.
• Learn how energy use has affected the environment; consumption and production trends of energy; tips on saving energy; and how to conduct a simple energy audit.
• Learn how students can help to green schools.
• Learn about the science, engineering and social issues of wind energy; construct a model wind turbine and experiment with design variables affecting energy output.
• Learn how photovoltaic cells convert radiant energy into electricity, the factors affecting performance and the practical applications of solar energy; construct a solar panel and measure energy output.
• Become familiar with resources and organizations that provide continually updated information, lesson plans and useful tools.
Sustainable Energy Workshop II: Solar Thermal Technologies
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Teachers will gain introductory knowledge and hands-on experience with renewable energy and energy technologies including Concentrating Solar Energy, Solar Thermal Heating , and Passive Solar Building Design. The workshop is FREE and participants receive six Act 48 credit hours, lunch, and over $120 of teaching resources and “toys” including: a solar parabolic mirror, solar H2O heater kit, Fresnel lens, chemical heat pack, solar tube, resource binder and flashdrive. (Photovoltaics will not be covered in this workshop – see Citizen Power’s Sustainable Energy Workshop I.)
- Learn how Passive Solar Building Design functions and can be employed to save on energy costs.
- Learn how Solar Thermal Energy can heat water for appliances; construct and experiment with a mini-solar hot water heater.
- Learn how Solar Thermal Energy can heat buildings, utilizing both air and liquid as a medium.
- Learn how Solar Thermal Energy can be concentrated to provide electricity utilizing several different proven technologies; construct and experiment with concentrating solar energy technologies including energy storage mechanisms.
- Become familiar with resources and organizations that provide continually updated information, lesson plans and useful tools.
Wind Farm & Technology Fieldtrip (new workshop)
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The workshop is FREE and participants receive six Act 48 credit hours, a mini-wind kit, teaching resources, and lunch. The target audience is 6th – 12th grade teachers of energy-related curriculum (science & career/tech-ed). More details will be made available as we get closer to the event. Transportation to be determined (either shuttle, carpool, or self-commute based on participant response). This workshop is made possible by an Environmental Education Grant through the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
( http://whiteconstruction.com/portfolio/item/forward-wind-farm-2/ )