Mike Couick
I grew up in the country, and throughout my childhood, 4-H Club was a big part of my life.
In 1971, I participated in a 4-H Electricity Camp sponsored by York Electric Cooperative at the local county extension office. At the conclusion of the four-week program, I had crafted a lamp, learned about electrical safety and been exposed to the critical role rural electrification played in the development of our state.
On the final day of camp, I entered the demonstration competition (4-H was always about the next demonstration). My choice was to illustrate safety in the charging of a car battery.
Jumper cables and two batteries in hand, I showed the proper procedure and, I thought, wowed the audience. I knew I had won and would claim the $10 prize. However, the next contestant took the stage and clogged her way to first prize with a rendition of “Rocky Top.” I’m not sure exactly how her performance related to energy, but the judges must have believed it was electrifying.
Just as York Electric invested in education by sponsoring that 1971 camp, co-ops across the state are supporting today’s teachers and school kids through EnlightenSC, a K–12 education initiative created to help students better understand energy, economics and related environmental issues. Thanks to EnlightenSC and its website—EnlightenSC.org—teachers have access to training opportunities and instructional resources, including classroom activities and age-appropriate lesson plans aligned with state education standards. Guided by a team of education professionals with more than 50 years of combined teaching experience, the initiative is working to make sure that lessons about energy become an integral part of each young person’s educational experience.
Events and training opportunities for teachers and students are also featured on the website. For example, EnlightenSC sponsors regional workshops for teachers—free half-day events hosted by local co-ops. The programs, which begin this year in March, are designed to show teachers how to use the resources on EnlightenSC.org to enhance the classroom learning experience. Teachers who attend earn credit-renewal points, which are required for their state recertification.
Each summer, EnlightenSC offers a graduate-level course for teachers at the University of South Carolina. Taught by a Ph.D. with more than 20 years’ experience in regional and rural economic development, the three-week course includes classroom instruction, independent work and field trips to power-generating plants and renewable energy facilities across the state. Teachers who complete the course earn three graduate course credits.
This spring, EnlightenSC will sponsor the 2015 S.C. 4-H Engineering Challenge. Students will compete in individual and team demonstration projects ranging from bridge design and model rocketry to energy and electricity, robotics and GPS systems. With the knowledge and technology available to kids today, I’ll go out on a limb and predict that none of these 4-H’ers takes the stage with a set of jumper cables or clogging shoes.
Open to students ages 9 to 19, the statewide competition is designed to get students thinking about—and working together to solve—tough STEM problems. If you have kids, you know that STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math and that STEM courses are a top priority in education circles. They should be. These courses teach the fundamental skills that kids will need to secure the high-tech jobs of tomorrow and to build an even brighter future for the Palmetto State. I’m excited to think about what will happen when the competition takes place on April 18 at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. Maybe some of these kids will be inspired to solve the world’s great energy, environmental and engineering challenges
EnlightenSC’s support for education is one more example of the co-op difference. South Carolina’s electric cooperatives seek to empower the communities we serve with something more than affordable and reliable electricity.
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Learn more about EnlightenSC events and initiatives at EnlightenSC.org or on Facebook.
For information on the 2015 S.C. 4-H Engineering Challenge, visit scionthemove.org.