Powerful Energy Information Shared with Children to Help Transform America's Habits
Senator Richard G. Lugar and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis partnered to host the second annual Lugar Energy Summit for elementary and middle school students today. Teams from several area schools learned how energy is generated, how they can conserve energy and how to develop a project to reduce the environmental footprint of schools.
“The choices we make regarding energy have a dramatic impact on the environment and on each of our lives,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, museum president and CEO. “By partnering with Senator Lugar on this important issue, we can help children learn at an early age that they have the power to conserve energy and protect the world in which we live through intelligent decisions concerning renewable energy sources.”
Held at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, students from area schools participated in energy conservation workshops to learn ways they can make a positive impact on the environment, at home, and in their schools and service learning workshops to help students create a project they can complete at their school to save energy or help the environment. The day’s events included an opening presentation by Dr. Patchen and Rick Crosslin, The Children’s Museum’s School Liaison for Science Learning along with a special video welcome by Senator Lugar regarding the importance of energy conservation.
“I am pleased to partner with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis on the 2011 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 attending the summit at The Children's Museum will broaden their understanding of the issues surrounding energy and will go back to their communities with the tools to make a difference in their own households and schools. I look forward to hearing more about these young Hoosiers and their energy projects in the months to come.”
350 area students talked with community organizations that support school energy projects such as Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) and its green vehicle along with Coca-Cola Recycling and its interactive recycling van. The students rotated through workshops and exhibits presented by other local organizations including Cummins Engine, Endangered Species Chocolate, EnviroMax, Heritage Environmental Services, Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the Indiana Recycling Coalition, Marian College Eco-Lab, Office of Energy Development, Roots and Shoots from the Jane Goodall Foundation, Super Bowl Green Corps Committee.
Attending educators were also able to apply for funding to complete a sustainability project in their classroom. “By offering monetary opportunities to the schools in attendance through grants, these students have been given the opportunity to benefit from extended learning in their classrooms on a long-term basis," said Patchen. “As a result, the new knowledge will stay fresh in their minds and allow these students to make a difference not only at home, but in their learning environments as well.”
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 across the arts, sciences, and humanities. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.
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