Watts Up?

What’s the difference between energy and power? What’s a “Watt?” These are some of the questions students explored during SERC’s “Got Energy?” workshops at the annual Redwood Environmental Education Fair (REEF).

Each spring, elementary and middle school students throughout Humboldt County converge for two days to learn about environmental education. SERC has participated in this event since 2001. Workshop attendees played “Watts Up?”, an interactive game that motivates students to explore the difference between energy and power and inspires them to think about the use of energy in their lives. Workshops culminated with a solar electric circuit activity that challenged students to discover how to sound a solar powered buzzer. Students were excited about this activity; many of them asked how to get their own solar panels and buzzers in order to pursue solar energy and power at home.

Over 170 students discovered the power of renewable energy and energy efficiency during SERC’s REEF workshops. In total, our outreach program reached over 1700 students this past year. We look forward to another successful year of outreach when our program resumes in the fall.

A Word From… Eric Zielke
“I want to thank SERC and HSU’s Renewable Energy Student Union (RESU) for initiating the docent program in the Spring of 2004. This program allows HSU students to gain real world renewable energy experience. I am honored to support SERC through my participation as a docent. I believe that one of the most important aspects of renewable energy applications is the ability to teach people not only the intricacies of how particular renewable energy systems work, but also how renewable energy applications can further our nation’s progress toward decreasing its dependence on foreign oil.”