On Sunday, April 22nd, the Energy Converter Club participated in the Growing Up Recycling Cart Decorating Contest at Discovery Green. The members decorated a recycling cart using recyclable materials in order to encourage children to and raise awareness for recycling. For five weeks, the club brainstormed and decorated the cart. For brainstorming, the club looked at different concerns present in the environment, as well as what themes would appeal to a younger audience. They decided to use the movie "Finding Dory" as their theme to focus on the environmental concern of solid waste pollution in the ocean. After five weeks of hard work, the club completed their cart and went to the contest to present it. There, the team won second place and was awarded $150 for the Energy Converters Club. Among their audience was Mayor Sylvester Turner who had heard of what the members did with their recycling cart. Energy congratulates the Energy's Converters and awaits their next project!

On Wednesday, April 25th, Energy student from Cohort 5 visited Weatherford, one of the world's largest multinational oil and natural gas service companies. Organized by the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and Weatherford, the event gave students the chance to see the Weatherford Research and Development, Engineering, Technology, and Training Center to learn about current oil and gas technologies. Students also met with industry professionals and participated in technology demonstrations. Weatherford focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and educating students aspiring to be in the field of energy. On previous occasions, the IPAA/Weatherford partnership has helped students be more prepared for life during and after college through externships and field trip opportunities. Additionally, students had the chance to meet mentors who work in various energy fields (rotating to different ones periodically), and they have learned about the operation of oil and natural gas wells. Overall, this whole learning experience allows students to gain insight into the energy industry.

On Thursday, April 27th, thirty-six seniors toured the Federal Reserve with the senior Government and Macroeconomics teacher, Mr. Lamb. During this trip, Mr. James Colunga of the Human Affairs Department, showed the students the ins and outs of the federal reserve system. Students learned that the primary role of the bank is to provide currency to financial institutions across the southern Texas region. The students also got a first hand experience with one of the building's key features: its security. Guests and personnel are thoroughly checked with the help of metal detectors, but this is not the only security measure. With bullet resistant windows and cameras diligently checking for explosives under money-carrying armored trucks, the Federal Reserve of Dallas Houston Branch has the most modern measures of security out of all the other federal branches in the nation. Furthermore, the board of directors is composed of prominent, local figures in fields such as oil & gas, investment, and aerospace. Each member provides data and knowledge about their area of expertise in order  to shape the monetary policies and interest rates of the federal reserve based on how well or bad the combined economy of these fields are doing within the local and international market. As the AP Government and Macroeconomics tests are approaching, this was a great learning experience for the seniors.