I am a mathematics teacher at Athens Drive High School and this past school year we started a STEM program with a focus on energy and sustainability.  As a part of the planning committee for this program, I participated in a few conferences that created interest in problem based learning (PBL).  Last year I did not teach an official “STEM” course, but I tried to implement PBL activities throughout the school year.  However, I could not help feeling that I did not know enough about energy and sustainability to incorporate the theme in my classes effectively.  I want students to learn about energy and sustainability rather than “3 energies + 2 energies = 5 energies!”

I read the “Its Electric” fellowship description and thought it was a perfect opportunity for me to gain the knowledge I seek.  My fellowship is with Duke Energy where I work with individuals on the distribution side of the power grid.  These people manage all aspects of the power grid from the substation to your home (another group manages the grid from the plant to the substation).  I am hoping to learn as much as I can about what these people do on a daily basis and how the power grid is set up, to bring those aspects to my calculus and computer science courses.

I also want to help my colleagues in our STEM program do the same.  I think a number of our teachers are willing to try STEM principles in their classroom, but need some help getting started.  I think the power industry can be that starting point.  The power industry has interests in a number of fields that can be applied to all subjects.  They employ workers with a range of backgrounds from high school diplomas to PhD’s, so there are career opportunities for all students.  There also seems to be a lack of public knowledge about the power industry. No one thinks about their electricity until it is out.  I know I did not before this summer.