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About 20 local high school students visited Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) June 28 to tour the Clark Family Library as part of the W&J Center for Energy Policy and Management’s (CEPM) Living Energy Laboratory, supported by the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund. The CEPM is the parent organization for the Shale Gas Knowledge Hub.
The students are part of a summer life skills class in the Upper St. Clair School District. During their visit, they took part in an interactive discussion about where energy comes from including a discussion of energy sources (coal, natural gas, and renewables). They also did a scavenger hunt to find electronic appliances in the building, and talk about how to conserve energy. In addition, students learned how to use a thermal imaging camera to identify hot and cold spots in buildings and interacted with a solar panel to understand how panels generate electricity.
“The CEPM was thrilled to have students and faculty from Upper St. Clair School District visit our campus to learn about energy efficiency and conservation,” said Corey Young, CEPM Director. “This important program wouldn’t have been possible without the funding and support of the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund.”
Michael DaVia, an Emotional Support and Resource Language Arts teacher in the Upper St. Clair School District, said the experience was invaluable for his students.
“The educational experience provided by the W&J Living Energy Lab served as a dynamic hands-on learning experience for our students. Energy usage and conservation is an essential functional skill for all students in the 21st century,” DaVia said.
Events of the W&J Living Energy Laboratory are offered free of charge to W&J students, faculty and staff, and the public, with a focus on serving local school students, residents, business owners, elected officials, and others interested in learning about residential and commercial energy efficiency and sustainability.
It includes interactive tours of W&J’s campus and discussions that highlight the College’s continual work to reduce its benchmark 16,945 metric tons of carbon produced per year. Tours include, but are not limited to, the College’s solar array, its LEED Silver
Certified Swanson Science Center, and an explanation of the College’s other energy-saving programs.
Tours will be scheduled throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, and will be advertised to the public as they become available.