Students Conserve Energy and Win Prizes
More than 2,000 students from 90 fourth through twelfth grade classrooms around the state participated in the 2024 Power Pledge Challenge, an initiative aimed at helping youth better understand energy use. Students competed for regional and statewide prizes while learning about energy. An 8th grade science class from Bethel is this year’s statewide winner.
Utilities and organizations from the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Anchorage, Kotzebue, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Bering Strait hosted the challenge from August to November 2024. In Power Pledge, students completed a hands-on activity from the AK EnergySmart curriculum, learned how to calculate the cost of appliance use and discovered ways to reduce their energy usage at home. Students then completed an online pledge of specific actions they would take to use energy more efficiently. Classes could also complete challenges to earn points towards more prizes, such as creating a community energy profile or interviewing someone who works in energy.
Mikaela Trowbridge’s 5th period science class at Bethel Regional High School is the 2024 statewide winner. The class received a pizza party and tour of the local power plant, and will receive energy related classroom materials worth $1,500. Five regional winners each also earned a pizza party and/or tour of a local power plant.
My students really enjoyed learning through the monthly challenges, extra lessons, and guest speakers for the Power Pledge Challenge, and the friendly competition really gave them some buy-in for the material as well. When my one class period beat the others in points they were so proud of themselves! It really made them so excited and they actually wanted to do more! Then, when they won in the state they were extra proud of themselves and so excited for a field trip. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do this, get materials from this, and take my kids on a trip I know they will remember.
Winning Classes
This year’s winning classes are:
- Statewide: Mikaela Trowbridge’s 5th period 8th graders at Bethel Regional High School
- Anchorage/Upper Kenai: Afshan Mohammad’s 6th through 8th graders at Clark Middle School
- Juneau: Angie Wright’s 5th graders at Auke Bay Elementary School
- Mat-Su and Eagle River: Nickole Hamlin’s 4th & 5th graders at Glacier View School
- Interior: Jenn Duncan’s 4th graders at Anne Wien Elementary School (Fairbanks)
- AVEC: Florence Ingan’s 6th graders at Gladys Jung Elementary (Bethel)
- Bering Strait/Kawerak Regional Winner: Mark Jo Torrechiva’s high school students at Brevig Mission School
The Power Pledge Challenge began in 2013, offering energy presentations to students in the Anchorage area. The now statewide initiative is held through support of Alaska Electric Light & Power, Alaska Energy Authority, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Chugach Electric Association, City of Seward, Golden Valley Electric Association, Kawerak Inc, Kotzebue Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association, and Renewable Energy Alaska Project.
Thank you to the sponsors!
