Inaugural Lugar Children's Museum Energy Summit Held Today For Elementary and Middle School Students


Contacts:
Jaclyn Falkenstein
Public Relations Coordinator
(317) 334-4007
(317) 626-4555 cell
JaclynF@childrensmuseum.org

Area Students Gathered to Learn About Energy Conservation

Today, Senator Richard G. Lugar and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis partnered to host an energy summit for Indiana elementary and middle school students. Area schools were invited to send a team of students to learn how energy is generated, how they can conserve energy at home and at school, and how to develop a project to reduce the environmental footprint of schools.

"Energy conservation is an important topic for all children to learn, especially at an early age when these students can make a big impact throughout their lives," said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, museum president and CEO. "By partnering with Senator Lugar on this important issue, we are offering these students an opportunity to connect with energy conservation issues by taking part in hands-on learning opportunities and learning directly from those organizations making a difference today."

Held at The Children's Museum, 350 area students attended workshops and talked with community organizations that support school energy projects such as Duke Energy, Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Indiana Recycling Coalition, Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL), the Lugar Center for Renewable Energy at IUPUI, Marian College Eco-Lab, NSWC-Crane Division, Purdue University, and Williams Creek Consulting. Prior to the start of the summit, Senator Richard G. Lugar met with a group of students early in the day at the museum to talk about energy conservation.

"I am pleased to partner with the Children's Museum on the inaugural Lugar Children's Museum Energy Summit," said Lugar. "Increasing our energy security starts with decreasing our dependence on foreign energy sources, and our children are the best place to begin. The students from around Indiana at The Children's Museum today were able to learn to conserve energy in their households and communities. I look forward to hearing more about these young Hoosiers and their energy projects in the months to come."

Schools in attendance each received a grant from Duke Energy to start an energy project at their school. Schools will be invited to share these projects at The Children's Museum during the museum's Earth Day 2011 celebrations.

"By offering these grants to the schools in attendance, these students have been given the opportunity to extend the learning opportunity from this summit directly into their school," said Patchen. "This knowledge will allow these students to make a difference not only at home, but in their learning environments as well."

The Lugar Children's Museum School Energy Summit was presented by Duke Energy.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. The 472,900 square-foot facility houses 11 major galleries. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You're in Their World®, experience Dale Chihuly's Fireworks of Glass and examine children's impact in shaping history in The Power of Children: Making a Difference. The Children's Museum, situated on 20 acres of land in Indianapolis, presents hundreds of programs and activities each year. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit childrensmuseum.org.

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