Gary MacCready, Energy Industry Partnership Program Manager, presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Dan Comfort, Owner of Comfort Profit Consulting, Inc., who has been a supporter and presenter in the Science & Energy Club at Pine Grove Area Elementary School.

“Comfort Profit Consulting assists Business by auditing utility bills, assisting in obtaining tax benefits and selecting electric suppliers”.

That’s the message 35 students from the Hazleton Area and Weatherly Area school districts heard Tuesday morning during a visit they made to the Penn State Hazleton Campus.

The visit was part of the Partners in Education (PIE) initiative Project SAGE, or Securing a Greener Environment……”    Read more in this article by Jim Dino in the Standard Speaker.

The first aspect of the Fall Lecture Series includes three information sessions to help people go green and save green. These sessions are being offered free of charge as a special gift to the community.

Partnership member Lisa Alexander – the “Queen of Green” – will present all three lectures. Ms. Alexander, a member of the Center for Sustainability’s Program Advisory Committee, is an authority on sustainable living and green building. She is a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional by the United States Green Building Council), Certified EcoBroker & Ecosociate, Green Living Expert, Corporate Sustainability Officer, and Sustainable Green Building Consultant. Learn more about Ms. Alexander by visiting www.lisaalexander.com/ or www.livebetterlivegreen.com

Participants may attend any or all information sessions.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Conserving Energy, Water and Money

Cost: Free

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Building Envelope (Foundations, Insulation & How to Cut Your Costs)

Cost: Free

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Green & Healthy Building Products

Cost: Free

All lectures will take place in Johnson College’s Moffat Building Cafeteria. The College’s campus is located at 3427 North Main Avenue in Scranton, which is off exit 190 on I-81.  For more information about the Fall Lecture Series, please contact Liz Brobst, Program Coordinator, at 570-702-8954 or lbrobst@johnson.edu.

(Pottsville, PA)  – The EIP  created “The Alternative Energy Event” featuring a solar powered car designed by Penn State University-Hazleton engineering students and built by local high school students, along with a robotics demonstration.  This event debuted at the Pine Grove Area Elementary School and High School Career Fairs.  The solar car was featured at the Northeast PA Manufacturers and Employers Council, Inc. Schuylkill County Career Fair on March 24^th,  the Wallenpaupack Area School District on April 21^st and Forest City High School on May 6th.  Dr. Wes Grebski of PSU Hazleton  developed an educational presentation that meets the PA Academic Standards for Science and Technology that accompanied the demonstration of the solar car. The three-wheeled, 18 foot car can operate at speeds up to 50 mph.

Additionally, the EIP is supporting the creation and/or expansion of Science Fairs and Energy Clubs at school districts within their twelve county responsibility and a number of successful Youth Energy Camps were held during the 2009 summer.

Guest Speakers

• Expert in the emerging gas technology field addressed students about new careers in NEPA related to the natural gas industry.
• Lackawanna College Professor Lynn DeSanto lead a discussion about how energy is made.
• A speaker from the Steamtown History Museum explained the making and use of steam energy.

Student Field Trips

• the PPL Facility at Lake Wallenpaupak to tour the water and electric energy plants.
• a tour of the Coal Museum.
• the Coal Mine Tour at McDade Park to learn about coal energy.
• a tour of the Steamtown History Museum.

Other Activities

• Students performed three computer activities to investigate electric energy careers.
• Students met with a career counselor to discuss the areas that interested them and  steps  needed to  achieve a career in that specific, energy-related field.

Mrs. Elizabeth Readinger, 4th grade science teach and club advisor helps club members assemble scaled down solar cars

(Pine Grove, PA) A new Science and Energy Club for fourth graders has been created in cooperation with the EIP and Jennifer L. Bowen, principal of Pine Grove Area Elementary School. It is a project-based experience with a curriculum based entirely on science and energy. During the course of the year, energy experts were invited as guest presenters and included engineer Stephen Russial, energy analysis Dan Comfort and Gary MacCready, program manager for the EIP.

Club members experienced the “Alternative Energy Events” with a demonstration of the PSU-Hazleton solar car and also built their own smaller version of a solar car in a hands-on experience.

“The Science & Energy Club, sponsored by our local Energy Industry Partnership, provides a wealth of diverse educational opportunities for a core group of fourth grade students. The club actually inspires our students to learn and practice science in ways that are relevant and meaningful, pertain to their everyday life, and support them in doing well in the science classroom.

In fact, once students return to the classroom for their daily in-class science lessons, they are more knowledgeable and eager to learn, as well as engage in doing science!  In addition to increasing students’ interest in learning science in the classroom, the club also encourages an interest in science and technology and energy occupations.”

“One student said it best, ‘I didn’t like science before, but I love it now!”

“This statement speaks for itself”, said Principal Jennifer L. Bowen, Pine Grove Area Elementary School.

In this program year (2008-2009) the $100,000 training funds were utilized in advanced training skills for 103 currently employed workers.

The Energy Industry Partnership was established in December 2007 to educate the general public about the energy industry, provide advanced skills training for the current workforce, and attract and retain a new generation of workers to help meet growing industry demands.  There are currently 46 industry leaders and 120 non-industry partners involved in the Partnership. Membership is open to any energy related industry.

The EIP is also focused on creating awareness of energy industry careers.  In-demand jobs include technicians, electricians, welders, engineers, lineworkers and chemists.  Installers, energy analysts, information systems specialists and environmentalists are also needed.  Studies indicate the need for developing elementary through high school student interest in these positions and enhancement in the math and science courses needed to enter this field.

The NEPA Energy Industry Partnership– Powerful Ideas at Work – is a joint effort of the Luzerne/Schuylkill, Lackawanna, Pocono and Northern Tier Workforce Investment Boards and supported by the PA CareerLinks®.  For more information, please contact Gary MacCready, Program Manager & Director of Training Programs at 570-622-5253 or gmaccready@redcogrp.com.

(Pine Grove, PA) The Northeastern Pennsylvania Energy Industry Partnership (EIP) recently presented an introduction to careers in the energy industry during the Pine Grove Area Elementary School annual career fair.  The highlights of the presentation were a solar car and a robotics display as examples of where a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics can lead.

The EIP collaborated with Penn State University – Hazleton’s engineering department to bring the solar car to the students.  PSU Engineering students designed the car, and then worked with their regional high school students to build the working solar car.   Gary MacCready, Energy Industry Partnership Program Manager & Director of Training Programs and Dr. Wes Grebski from Penn State University spoke to the students prior to demonstrating the vehicle.  Approximately 120 fourth graders heard Dr. Wes Grebski speak at the event and over 500 students had a chance to see the solar car in a demonstration, learn about solar energy, and ask questions about the car.

The robotics demonstration by Phil Cimino, Instructor at Schuylkill Technology Centers (STC), included a volunteer from the first grade student audience who was asked to make arm and shoulder gestures which the robot successfully matched and duplicated.  Three different robots and devices, assembled by students at STC captivated the audience.

Principal Jennifer L. Bowen of Pine Grove Area Elementary School stated that career development (career awareness and career exploration activities must not be limited to once a year at career fairs, it must be reinforced along with the curricula.

“We hope these demonstrations inspired and motivated the students to study hard in their science and math classes so they can consider a career and possibly work in the energy industry,” said Gary MacCready. “This was the first school event the Energy Industry Partnership has chosen for this type of collaboration. The students’ tremendous response means we will be taking it to other schools in our twelve county area,” he continued.  This also promotes the goals and concepts of the STEM Initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the schools.  The Energy IP is a committed partner with this statewide initiative.

The Energy Industry Partnership is a joint effort of the Luzerne/Schuylkill, Lackawanna, Northern Tier and Pocono Workforce Investment Boards.  Directed by industry leaders from over 40 energy companies including solar, wind, coal, hydroelectric, nuclear, electric, biomass, geothermal and others, the EIP is working to help meet the growing employment and training demands of the industry in twelve counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

For more information, contact Gary MacCready at 570-622-5253 or gmaccready@redcogrp.com.