Conference on Future Technologies Draws More Than 200 Teachers and Students

December 1999

More than 200 teachers and students from throughout the Northeast gathered in Concord, NH, November 5th and 6th to learn how renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle technologies can be used as subjects to improve classroom learning. The Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services (ECS), prime sponsor of the event, forecasts growing job opportunities for young people in these rapidly expanding industries. The increased use of these technologies will also reduce fossil fuel use and lower pollution levels caused by current energy and transportation systems, according to ECS and other conference planners.

The conference was organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), Greenfield, MA, and sponsored by the New Hampshire Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. NESEA is the nation's leading regional association involved in promoting the development of non-polluting energy sources. NESEA has years of experience working with teachers through its NESEA American Tour de Sol electric vehicle road rally.

Conference participants inspected electric bicycles, go-carts, and on-road vehicles along with student-installed solar and wind energy systems. Teachers learned how student projects such as energy audits of school buildings, student-built electric vehicles, and student-installed renewable energy systems can be used to motivate students and teach a variety of subjects that meet today's educational standards. The conference provided teachers with educational resources, examples on how to fund projects, and the basics of project research and development.

New Hampshire Department of Education, Department of Environmental Services, and New Hampshire Technical Institute staff assisted with conference planning. The conference, which organizers hope will become an annual event, also included workshops on Solar on Schools programs, renewable energy technology applications, and the Alliance to Save Energy's "Green Schools" programs. Exhibits included the "Sun Shack", a 30-foot long, student-built, solar and wind powered office on wheels. Computers in the Sun Shack's office monitor how much power is being produced and are programmed to be used by students to learn about renewable energy.

A listing of educational resources and conference speakers can be found on NESEA's Web site www.nesea.org.