Energy Education Program

Offered in central and southern Maine, the Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP) gets students excited about energy issues by combining general awareness classroom training with hands-on work to monitor school building energy use.

Student volunteers serve in school "Energy Patrols." These are older students who perform classroom skits, distribute informational materials, and make sure computers and lights that are not in use are turned off. MEEP has gathered data showing that schools with active Energy Patrols have reduced their energy consumption. Between January and June of 2004, MEEP provided classroom training and developed Energy Patrols in 22 schools across Maine.

Guide Your Students Toward Energy Literacy

• Classroom Offerings Grades 4-8 (PDF)*
• Classroom Offerings Grades 9-12 (PDF)*
• Green Schools News (PDF)*

Classroom Presentations

MEEP offers a variety of energy awareness activities for classrooms. Focused on energy sources, energy conservation, alternative modes of transportation, and outdoor air quality, these activities are fun, dynamic, and interdisciplinary. Plus, they can be easily modified to meet the needs of the curriculum and students. Here are some of the activities MEEP offers:

The Car Puzzle Activity

• Challenges students to create designs for future cars by combining the features found in today's cars with more energy efficient innovations  and with the environmental benefits of alternative fuels.

Light Meter Reading

• Used to assess whether there is sufficient natural light entering a classroom to warrant the turning off of some or all of the overhead lights in the classroom, thereby helping the school to conserve more energy.

Electric Nameplate Reading

• Students learn to read the information off the UL labels on appliances, thereby allowing them to determine what appliances in the classrooms consume large amounts of energy.

Apple Battery Activity

• Fun, hands-on way for students to learn about electricity, batteries and simple circuitry.

Energy Education Leadership Workshops

In the fall, MEEP hosts Energy Education Leadership Workshops in central and southern Maine. Teachers of grades 4-8 are invited to bring between three and five students to the workshop. The workshop offers the following:

• Energy awareness and team building activities that can be aligned with Maine's Learning Results;
• Fresh ideas for classroom activities and projects, including the Junior Solar Sprint, model solar boat, car competitions, and Maine Green Schools;
• Year-long follow up in the form of resource materials, classroom support and ongoing dialogue with MEEP staff;
• The Great Energy Debate Game (grades 4-8);
• It's Electric (grades 4-6);
• Apple Battery;
• Mini-wind turbine; and,
• Photovoltaic / Solar Fan
• The Global Energy Game (grades 7-8); and,
• MEEP Jeopardy.

To find out more about the Maine Energy Education Program, contact Peter Zack at (207) 625-7833.

* To request a hard copy/printed version of the Word documents listed above, please call 1-866-376-2463. Please allow 10 days for delivery from the time of request.