Happy Black History Month

Happy Black History Month!

We’re excited to celebrate Black History Month with you this February! If you haven't gotten a chance to explore it yet, we’re pleased to once again highlight our lesson on Black Leaders in Energy. We invite all of our readers to make use of this lesson, incorporate all or part of it in your teaching, and give us your feedback.

View the Lesson!

February is also Career and Technical Education Month, so check out the many career resources below to introduce your students to exciting careers in energy!

Energy Career resources from KEEP

In 2024 the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction revised and updated Career and Technical Education (CTE) standards for Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources and Technology and Engineering. Both standards emphasize career exploration and include clean energy technology competencies.

KEEP staff have worked in tandem with DPI, energy training programs offered by Wisconsin technical colleges, and the energy industry to ensure K-12 educators have access to resources they need to feel confident as they help students discover the varied and interesting jobs available in the energy sector. Below are energy career opportunities for Wisconsin students and teachers:

K-5

KEEP supports and assists with coordination of Cool Career Day, a virtual career exploration event. Students hear from and interact through Q&A with professionals in 5 different careers, including energy.

6-12

In collaboration with Slipstream, a Wisconsin nonprofit working to grow the clean-energy workforce as a key part of its mission to accelerate climate solutions for everyone, KEEP assists with coordination of high school energy career fairs.

If you're Interested in learning about upcoming Energy Career Fairs in Wisconsin sign up to be notified of the 2025-26 schedule.

9-12

With funding from the US Department of Energy, KEEP is a collaborating partner of the Wisconsin Energy Partnership. This grant gives high school students - in schools that participate in the Renew Our Schools competitions - funding to assist in ASHRAE Level 1 energy audits of their school buildings.

Educators

KEEP sponsors CTE teachers to attend clean energy industry conferences. These provide opportunities for teachers to deepen their knowledge of the clean energy industry as they hear from leaders like Isaiah Ness who will be on a panel with students from Chippewa Falls High School Green Team during the RENEW Wisconsin Summit. Teachers attending B4 Conference will hear from Shalanda Baker and Mandela Barnes. Apply for a KEEP scholarship to attend the B4 Conference on February 28!

Apply for B4 Scholarship

Spring Conference Preview!

Join us at conferences this spring! We’d love to say hi in person.

• Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (WAFCS) Annual Conference, February 27-28 | Stevens Point, WI

Session: Conduct a Student-centered Energy Audit on Thursday from 10:45 a.m. - noon

• Wisconsin Technology Education Association (WTEA) Annual Conference, March 5-7 | Chula Vista Resort Wisconsin Dells, WI

Session: B4 – Better Buildings Better Business. Sharing our Takeaways on Friday at 11:15 am

• Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers, April 3-5 | Oshkosh

Lots of sessions!

Clean Energy Field Trip - Energy Tour = solar + sheep + wind! on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to noon
Empowering Students to Lead: A Green Team Toolkit for Energy Savings on Thursday from 1-2 p.m.
Becoming a Building Energy Detective on Friday from 2-3 p.m.
Bright Lights, Bright Minds! Exploring Energy Phenomena in Elementary Classrooms on Friday from 3-4 p.m.
Plus sessions from LEAF, our partner K-12 forestry education program, too.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

In-person Offerings

• Discovering Enrgy in Nature | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., April 14 | Wehr Nature Center, Franklin

Virtual Offerings

• Green Team Mini-Grant Info Session | 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., February 6

• Academic & Career Planning: Customizing DPI Energy Career Pathway for your School | 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., February 12

On-Demand Offerings

• Climate Education for Wisconsin – On-Demand

• Climate Education for Wisconsin – CERTIFICATE VERSION – On-Demand

• Energy Education: Concepts and Practices - Online Module

KEEP PD List

LAST CHANCE!

Green Team Mini-Grants Info Sessions

Learn more about the Green Team Mini-Grant Program! Wisconsin K-12 student groups can apply to receive $300 to $700 for a project to reduce the carbon footprint of their school community.

Attend an info session February 6 then invite your students to submit an Info Form for the spring rounds of Mini-Grants by February 14.

Resource roundup: Upcoming opportunities from KEEP partners

Play Cool Choices – Registration deadline extended!

Play the Cool Choices Demo Game, from February 10th – 21st. Cool Choices is an online game in which students earn points for participating in sustainable actions. Cool Choices aims to inspire and assist school communities to take small actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint.

Green and Healthy Schools hosts the game for the month of April (4 weeks), which can be managed either as an entire classroom or with teams of students from the same school.

The Demo game, played in February, allows teachers to familiarize themselves with the cards and platform ahead of time. Take action today by signing up for access to the demo game by February 7th.

Real Data in AP Environmental Science with MeterHero

Join MeterHero at 4 p.m. February 12th for a 30-minute teacher onboarding webinar "How FRQ Practice With Students’ Own Utility Data Will Boost Exam Scores Without The Burnout”.

Learn how to get real utility data into the AP Environmental Science classroom to make class relevant, empower students and boost exam success!

Sponsored by local utilities through KEEP.

Learn More

Groundwater Model Workshop - Apply by Feb. 15!

Interested in expanding your range of environmental lessons? Disappointed that the WCEE’s Groundwater Model can’t be shipped across the state to your school?

UWSP’s Groundwater Model Project is offering workshops this spring to educators from around the state. Learn how to use a groundwater model to demonstrate how water – and pollutants – move through the earth, then receive a FREE groundwater model to take home with you!

The two choices of workshop dates are:

Wednesday, April 16th at Treehaven UWSP, Tomahawk
Tuesday, April 29th at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center, Wisconsin Dells

Learn More

Teach Wisconsin Climate: An Overview

Wondering how to bring climate education to your classroom? Looking for high quality resources you can trust?

Join teachers from across the state in a 5:30 p.m. webinar on February 24th to learn about Wisconsin's Teach Wisconsin Climate education resource hub from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, and Subject to Climate.

KidWind’s National Wind Energy Art Challenge

KidWind invites students from kindergarten through 8th grade across the United States to create artwork on the theme “Beautiful Wind Energy.”

Submissions are due February 28, 2025.

More Info

Solar Resources from the Department of Energy

Check out this collection of basic information about solar energy from the Department of Energy. It's a valuable resource for building background knowledge for both you and your students.

View Collection

Celebrate Worldwide Climate and Justice Games Day April 11

Worldwide Climate Education Week is partnering with CATAN to celebrate the first Worldwide Climate and Justice Games Day on April 11. CATAN is offering a free copy of CATAN – New Energies to the first 100 educators (middle through college) in US or Canada who sign up to commit to using CATAN – New Energies during Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week 2025.

Learn More

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The KEEP program is funded with generous support by Alliant Energy, Madison Gas and Electric, We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, WPPI Energy, and Xcel Energy.

Published February 2025