On Tuesday, October 17th, a group of 20 students represented our school at the Itron Utility Conference. This multi-day event covered topics ranging from water to electricity distribution in urban centers around the United States. The group participated in a keynote address by Colonel Mike Mullane of the U.S. Air Force and NASA. Two students, Eddie Martinez and Kiana Carrillo, had the opportunity to be a part of a live interview during the second day of the conference. The students also presented professional posters which focused on their project during Term 1. Their projects were centered around the following driving question: How do civil engineers clean water resulting from disaster? 

One pair of students had the opportunity to share their filtration experience with an industry professional. They detailed how they will use their product to filter E.coli from water in Buffalo Bayou. This experience helped our students use what they learned in the classroom and provided them with an opportunity to apply their final products in a real world setting. 

On November 11, the Travis Manion Foundation will be hosting the 9/11 Heroes Run in downtown Houston with the help of local community volunteers, including students from Energy Institute's National Honor Society. The 9/11 Hero's Run welcomes runners and walkers of all ages. The event takes place globally, with the goal of uniting communities around the world to raise awareness and honor the fallen heroes of September 11. All of the race proceeds to the Travis Manion Foundation are used to help in community building projects, programs that inspire future leaders, initiatives that foster camaraderie, and events that support our veterans, service members, and their families. Usually, the event takes place on or near September 11. However, due to the catastrophic flooding which affected Houston and surrounding areas, the event has been rescheduled for Veteran's Day. This is the perfect opportunity for the students of Energy Institute High School to personally go out and thank our local veterans, first responders, civilians, and military in a fun, and family-friendly environment.

This past Saturday, October 22, the annual Energy Day event welcomed the public to interact with different demonstrations about STEM careers. Energy Institute students volunteered with Noble Energy to teach event-goers how to make festive slime, explaining the chemical processes of slime while getting their hands dirty. Children reacted with charisma and curiosity. One bright mind who stood out was Fatima, a young girl interested in science. She shared how the action of squeezing the slime alleviates stress. "It is such an amazing opportunity to teach kids about science and have fun while volunteering," shared one of the Energy students. Chevron, the University of Houston, Harmony Achievement, CAT Oil and Gas, ConocoPhillips, along with many more organizations attended.