High school students from Jackson High School, Gallia Academy, Minford Middle School and High School, and Wheelersburg Middle School, trained by OEP in October, conducted sessions in several classrooms at SSU for younger students in attendance.
In attendance were students from Minford, Wheelersburg, South Point, Fairland, West Union Middle School, Ripley Union, Portsmouth, Rubyville and East. Some schools brought two classes instead of the usual single class and about 340 students were in attendance.
Activities included understanding the transformation of energy by riding an energy bike, participating in hands-on experiments, and learning how people's actions may affect the global climate. The day ended with an energy carnival which reinforced information learned throughout the day.
“We sponsored it, and I coordinated with them to facilitate the project for the university,” said Judy Meeker, program manager for university outreach services. “Each classroom had a different setup, focusing on different educational components, and all things related to energy were taught and demonstrated, focusing on different types of energy, too.”
Meeker said the energy fair gives students an opportunity to learn things that aren't taught in their schools.
“The students will be learning things that would not normally be found in their school curriculum, so this was an enhanced learning experience,” she said.
The outline for the project centered on energy sources, energy forms, energy transformations, energy efficiency and global climate change. According to OEP, the goal of the day was to educate students about energy and to have them share and teach others in their school and community about energy through OEP's “Kids Teaching Kids Approach.”
Meeker said it was only the second time the program was done at SSU.
“In the past, kids had to travel to Cincinnati or Columbus, and the cost to the schools just was not feasible,” she said.
SSU, USEC, American Electric Power and Columbia Gas sponsored the energy fair locally.
FRANK LEWIS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.
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