Teachers seated around a table participating in the Empower Energy Conference

Empower Energy Education Workshop

In 2017, NEED partnered with PowerSouth to launch the EMPOWER program. This annual summer Energy Education Workshop provides an exciting opportunity to learn about electricity generation and distribution, with a focus on energy education and fun ways to integrate it into the classroom, using curriculum designed for students.  In June of 2022 we had 226 teachers join us at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort in FL for 4 days, thanks to PowerSouth and its member systems.

View snapshots captured here.

Great conference, learned so much! I loved how all the activities were adaptable to my grade level. My students will LOVE these activities!
– Empower Conference Attendee

Teachers participating in an experiment at the National Conference

National Energy Conference for Educators

July 24-28, 2022

Each July NEED hosts a National Energy Conference, which brings together educators from across the country (and even overseas) that are passionate about learning and teaching about energy and STEM! Through five interactive days, the conference provides educators with the most up-to-date information on all aspects of energy including the science of energy, sources of energy, transportation, climate science, electricity transmission and generation, efficiency and conservation, and more!

It is so difficult to find relevant PD for science teachers. Everything here was amazing!

It was good to get my brain going again right before school starts. There were so many opportunities for hands-on activities and very little just listening to speakers. 

Teachers holding up signs saying "Escape Room" and posing at the National Energy Educators Conference
A group of teachers at the National Energy Educators Conference

Conference participants receive the training and materials to implement innovative hands-on energy units in their classrooms, multi-disciplinary teams, and Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. NEED facilitators at the conference help participants develop specialized units that meet state standards and can be utilized with students of all learning styles. 

The 2022 National Energy Conference was safely hosted in person at the Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico with over 70 educators in attendance from across the nation, Canada, and Colombia. 

A sincere thank you to our conference sponsor ConocoPhillips!

Teacher holding up a hand made paper windmill

Interested in attending the 2023 National Energy Conference?

We’re heading to Austin, Texas with conference dates July 23rd-27th.  View details and apply at nationalenergyconference.org

#AustinPowered

So worth the time, energy, and work! Thanks for a great conference and a chance to meet new friends!

Best conference that I have ever attended in my 14 years in education.

A large windmill as seen from the ground on a blue sky

Massachusetts Energy Conference for Educators 

August 1-3, 2022

Hosted on Cape Cod by Maggie Downey of the Cape Light Compact, we had 41 Massachusetts teachers join us for hands-on energy training. Guest speakers included Mary McCarthy (Eversource) and Scott Halstead (Motus Experiential) to share information on MassSaves Programs, as well as touring a wind turbine and learning about offshore wind energy from Maija Benjamins (Eversource).

It was an engaging 3 days of networking, fun, and energy! Conference participants received Energy Efficiency and Conservation kits, Science of Energy kits and other valuable resources and curriculum to bring back to their classroom for exciting, hands-on lessons to use with their students. View snapshots captured here.

Plans for hosting an in-person conference for the 2023 summer are underway. Stay tuned!     

100% agree the conference assisted in improving their energy knowledge

The conference was very well organized and executed. We all enjoyed the activities. I appreciated that the activities were adaptable to all grade levels.

The trainers were so supportive, animated, knowledgeable, building relationships with us. The best interactive conference I have ever been at.

Best PD I have ever been to and I have been in education for more than 25 years! Well done!

Teachers working on draft papers at the Massachusetts Energy Conference