www.getwise.org
I ordered one kit of the Energy Wise program for EACH of my 30 students last year and received one for myself to use as a demonstration. These kits are sooo cool. The kit we got had 2 FREE CFL bulbs, one faucet aerator for the kitchen or other utility type sink, plumbing tape to ensure a good seal, thereby conserving more energy. It also contained a FREE gallon-per-minute measuring tool and so much more. AND did I remember to mention that it is all FREE!!!! Plus, when I participated, I was sent a $50 VISA credit card to use for my classroom as i wanted.
Here is a quote from their site:
In a Nutshell
"Through the LivingWise®, WaterWise™, or Energy Wise® Programs, students learn about conservation in a classroom setting. The new knowledge is then taken home and shared with their families and friends, reinforcing the lessons learned. The program provides students and their families with the tools needed to audit and retrofit their homes, generating immediate and lasting
savings."
Believe it or not, some parents did not want their children to change their bulbs or faucets so we did it in class with my set as a demonstration and then any materials left over we collected. Then we raised money and bought more CFL lights and donated enough to light 2 whole Habitat for Humanity houses and then some.
I can't express enough what a cool experience it was to go on a field trip to meet the families we were donating to and be able to give the bulbs and faucets in person. AND, if you can believe it, one of the families: a single mother with one severely disabled teenage daughter and one other teenage daughter who, by definition of being eligible for the program are POOR. This mother bought doughnuts for every child in my class and soda to celebrate the birthday of her disabled child and to thank us.
My students asked excellent questions like, "how much of the money that gets donated do these people get?". They got some real learning in that experience. It was all sparked by trying out this free energy education program which is sponsored by power companies and others.
It is more than worth it to sign your class up. They have a very worthwhile learning experience. It is not without flaws, some small errors here and there, but the value of the lessons overall was unable to be quantified.
I encourage you to check it out and tell everyone you know about it. Even better, they are available in both English and Spanish. That way when students take the kit home to improve and assess the changes in their home, their parents (if they speak no english) can participate with them. That is the central focus of this program is to get parents and children to work together to improve their understanding of energy consumption.
Let me know what you think.
