Empower Energy Education Workshop

June 2023

In 2017, NEED partnered with PowerSouth to launch the EMPOWER program. The 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, 143 teachers joined us at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort in Florida for 4 days thanks to PowerSouth and its member systems. Teachers learned about electricity generation and distribution with a focus on energy education and fun ways to integrate lessons into their classrooms.  Take a peek at some great Empower Conference photos captured here.

Was full of so much fun, there was never a dull moment!
– 2023 Empower Conference Participant

Teachers working at the NEED National Energy Conference

National Energy Conference for Educators

July 23-27, 2023

Each July, NEED hosts a National Energy Conference to bring 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!

Conference participants receive 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 2023 National Energy Conference was hosted at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin, TX with 85 participating educators. 

Interested in attending the 2024 National Energy Conference? We’ll be in Philadelphia, PA for the 2024 Conference happening July 7-11th.  View details and to apply at nationalenergyconference.org.

And be sure to take a look at photos captured, they provide a nice glimpse into the hands-on, energy learning fun that takes place each summer!

Two teachers working on a project together

Massachusetts Energy Conference for Educators 

July 31 – August 2, 2023

Hosted in Sturbridge, MA, we had 51 Massachusetts teachers join us for hands-on energy training on wind, solar, climate science, Massachusetts electric connections, and more! Guest speaker Mary McCarthy (Eversource) kicked things off and participants got to take a field trip to the National Grid Worcester Sustainability Hub. We invite you to take a look at more snapshots captured here.

Plans are underway for a summer 2024 conference, stay tuned! In the meantime, you can view snapshots taken throughout the conference here.

100% agree the conference assisted in improving their energy knowledge

Excellent presenters & presentations! Great pacing! Lots to do and learn! Excellent materials!
– Massachusetts Conference Participant

Great hands on activities to understand energy concepts/ideas and how to modify for the classroom at different levels.
– Massachusetts Conference Participant

I learned a lot and can bring lots of it to the classroom!!
– Massachusetts Conference Participant

Teachers seated around a conference table
Teachers working around a table

NEED Facilitator Training Conference

August 2023

We spent a week in the hidden gem city of Milwaukee hosting a NEED facilitator training conference to help each other increase our personal capacity to deliver energy content and classroom process skills to teachers teaching any grade level and any subject. Our facilitator team are highly qualified professionals, but more importantly, they are dedicated to making NEED and our training activities better than ever before. We’re thrilled to have even more great facilitators added to the NEED team and to engage you in all things energy education at upcoming workshops, conferences, and conventions!

Photos of the Facilitator Conference viewable here!

Attendees gathered at the Facilitator Training Conference put on by NEED

Throughout 2023, NEED presented hands-on sessions, exhibited, and shared NEED resources with over 2,500 educators at the following science teacher conferences across the nation:

As always, keep your eye on the NEED Event Calendar to join us at upcoming 2024 workshop and conference opportunities.