Hawaii Energy Workshops 2012-2013
A guest blog from Chelsea Harder, Hawaii Energy
What state has the most expensive electricity rates in the nation? You might have guessed it, Hawaii.
Hawaii is very unique in that it draws 79% of its electricity from oil…yikes! Collectively, the U.S. generates 2% of its electricity from oil (See Figures 1 and 2 below).
Figure 1: U.S. Electricity Generation
Figure 2: Hawaii Electricity Generation
As a result of this sourcing, Hawaii has the most expensive electricity rates in the nation. But the upside is that Hawaii has every renewable energy resource at its disposal. The state recognizes that the dependency on oil an unsustainable practice and is working to grow the use of renewable resources and reduce its energy consumption and increase efficiency. In fact, the state is so committed that our former Governor and the Department of Energy signed a memorandum called the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative in 2009 to meet 70% of Hawaii’s energy demand through conservation and clean energy sources by 2030 – 40% from renewable energy and 30% from energy efficiency. This will take time and a great amount of effort to make this systemic change. As part of this effort, Hawaii Energy is partnering with NEED to reach our future – our younger generations. This offering will educate teachers and provide them with curriculum and course materials to teach Energy literacy to their students!
Given that our mission is to educate on energy efficiency and conservation practices not only to adults but to our younger generations who will soon be leading this effort, NEED visits the Hawaiian Islands multiple times per year to aid teachers in this effort to reach their students. Within the months of November and February, The NEED Project held 5 workshops on the island of Oahu and educated 137 local teachers from the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu…and they’re still counting! The NEED Project will return to Hawaii for two more workshops in April 2013 on Hawaii Island and Oahu.
The workshops are informative, interactive, and provide tools to expand your curriculum with Energy Education – not to mention fun! The session is attended by Hawaii Energy representatives to educate teachers on the importance of energy efficiency and conservation as well as the current use of energy in the state and the positive changes we can make to better the current practices. Throughout the day, teachers are prompted to think critically and are given a plethora of information regarding energy use and processes across the country as well as state-specific information. Educators form small groups to learn about the different types of energy, its use, and how to be more energy efficient. In addition, there is a session for all participants run experiments with the energy kits that will be provided to them for their classroom activities with guidance from the NEED workshop facilitator and the opportunity to ask questions…all in one day!
The value in the partnerships of The NEED Project and Hawaii Energy is shown through the efforts and teachings of the educators to their students and the students’ interpretation of the energy application. Hawaii Energy and NEED are pleased to continue these efforts by also offering grants for Hawaii teachers and schools interested in promoting and teaching conservation and efficiency in their classroom or community. Applications are due April 15, apply today! Creating awareness in energy efficiency and conservation at a young age has a great potential to positively impact our use of energy and to help Hawaii reach the goal of 70% clean energy by 2030 and to greatly reduce the state’s dependency on oil. The intention is to make Hawaii a leader in smart energy use to create a platform for positive and systemic change! For more information about Hawaii Energy and NEED, visit http://hawaiienergy.need.org/.
NEED Bracketology
Who says college basketball gets to have all of the fun with brackets? Vote for your favorite NEED Guides in the NEED Bracket and you could win a prize.
How It Works
- Fill out the NEED Bracket (available for download below).
- Every day, go to the NEED Facebook page and comment on our status to vote for one of the competing guides. Every vote counts! The guide with the most votes wins and will move on to the next round.
- Here’s the schedule:
- And here is the point system:
- Voting will begin Monday, March 25, so please get your brackets in by 8 am. Monday, March 25 to be entered to win the grand prize!
- Check NEED’s Facebook page every day for point updates, voting, and more.
- The person with the most points at the end wins.
What are you waiting?! Fill out your NEED Bracket today!
NEED Bracket JPEG
Easter Egg Hunt
Head back to the NEED home page
Everyone did so well helping us find Lucky the Leprechaun that we’ve now hidden 5 Easter Eggs throughout our website. If you’re the first to find ALL 5 eggs, you’ll receive an Experiment Set. Then, the next five winners will receive a free water bottle. 
Everyday at lunchtime (Eastern Standard Time) we’ll be posting a clue on our Facebook page.
If you’ve found the Easter Eggs, please e-mail jhetrick@need.org!
We’re on the Hunt for Lucky the Leprechaun!
Head back to the NEED home page
Have you seen our Leprechaun, Lucky?
We seem to have lost our Leprechaun, Lucky, amongst our website and need your help to find him! Starting March 1st, we’re having a Leprechaun hunt. Search our pages of the website to find him and you could win a prize!
We are giving prizes to the first 10 people to find Lucky. The first five will receive Experiment Sets from our Science of Energy Kits. The Second five finders will receive the NEED water bottles.
THEN, starting March 18th, we’ll be having an Easter Egg Hunt! There will be 5 Easter eggs hidden throughout the website. If you’re the first to find ALL 5 eggs, you’ll receive an Experiment Set.
If you’ve found our surprises, please e-mail jhetrick@need.org or let us know on our Facebook page!
Remembering a great teacher and a good guy – Bob Thompson
Head back to the NEED home page
Blog written by Mary Spruill, Executive Director of The NEED Project
Right after Thanksgiving 2012, NEED received word that, Bob Thompson, one of our former teachers and staff members died suddenly. For the NEED family, this loss reminded us of the great times we had with Bob and his wife Debbie and all the fun we had as a team at teacher workshops, NEED Energy Conferences for Educators and our BP Solar Schools, BP A+ for Energy Program workshops and many others. Bob was a key part of our H2 Educate and Wind for Schools programming early on and delivered workshops for us in Illinois and all across the country for several years. When I think of Bob, I think of all the gee whiz moments that happen in science. I also think of Bob’s childlike wonder about science, and specifically about energy. We’re an organization of Energy Nerds. Big ones. We think of energy as a unifying theme in science. We think of energy as cool. Bob loved energy and loved teaching about energy. He also loved taking care of people. I can attest that I never picked up my own luggage, never had to carry my own laptop bag or open a door when Bob was around. He was a gentleman, a great teacher, and an explorer. As an ultralight pilot he would fly near wind turbines installed in Illinois. As a huge fan of aerospace, he would stand with me in the Avis parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport and stare into the heavens at the jet planes coming in to land. Then there was the time he shoved my ice cream cone in my face. That was funny. It was also cooling – since we were in La Quinta, California
It was all science. All the time. Bob explored. Bob taught exploration. Bob energized workshops of teachers and classrooms of kids.
He was special. Special to all of us at NEED and to the teachers and students he worked with over time. Because of this, NEED has established the Bob Thompson Excellence in Energy Award that will be given each year to a teacher who exemplifies Bob’s childlike wonder of science and energy. The award includes a $1,000 cash grant to the teacher to use as he/she chooses in the classroom and an all-expenses paid trip to the NEED Energy Conference for Educators hosted each July. This year, the award will be given at the 33rd Annual NEED Youth Awards for Energy Achievement in Washington, D.C. June 21-24, 2013 and the teacher will attend the NEED Energy Conference for Educators July 14-18 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Have a teacher to nominate? Want to apply? Email Mary Spruill at mspruill@need.org for an application. Deadline for applications is March 30, 2013. Be sure that if you apply, you are able to attend the Award Ceremony on June 24 and the NEED Conference July 14-18.
I think Bob would love this. And I’m glad we’re doing it. Many thanks to Bob for his support of NEED and to the Thompson family for their support of his work with us.
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