Winners have been selected for the eleventh annual Power Pledge Challenge!
State Winner
Lori Holcomb’s 5th grade class at Talkeetna Elementary is this year’s statewide winner of the Power Pledge Challenge (PPC)! More than 2,200 third through twelfth grade students from 29 schools in eight regions around the state participated in the eleventh annual PPC, an initiative from AK EnergySmart aimed at helping youth better understand energy use.
Participating classrooms received in-person or virtual outreach from REAP educators and/or utility partners, using a lesson from AK EnergySmart, as well as electricity monitors upon request. From there, teachers can integrate more lessons into their classes through the semester such as career profiles, math lessons on energy costs, and more, to earn points. The class who earned the most points wins the state, with top points-earners in each region also earning a prize. This semester-long, project-based PPC increased students’ energy literacy while completing challenges that benefit their families, classrooms, and schools.
As part of the PPC, teachers took their students on field trips (like to the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, below), brought in guest speakers to teach students about energy careers, started book studies, shared (and created!) amazing videos with their students, and so much more. We wish we could give prizes to all the classes who participated!
Holcomb is getting $2,000 worth of energy education kits and supplies from NEED and Vernier, as well as a pizza party and tour of a substation with Matanuska Electric Association. Each of the regional winners are getting a pizza party and tour of local energy infrastructure as well. Prizes are provided with funding from the 11 partners.
Winning Classes
This year’s winning classes are:
- Statewide: Lori Holcomb’s 5th grade class, Talkeetna Elementary
- Anchorage/Upper Kenai: Leola Rutherford’s 6th grade class, Girdwood K-8
- Mat-Su/Eagle River: Meghaan Blomberg’s 4th grade class, Talkeetna Elementary
- Seward: Amelia Bagheri’s 6th period science class, Seward High
- Interior: Marie Gore’s K-12 students, Cantwell
- Juneau: Josef Roters’s 3rd grade students, Auke Bay Elementary
- Dillingham: Shannon Clouse’s 4th grade class, Dillingham Elementary
- AVEC: Mikaela Trowbridge’s 6th grade class, Gladys Jung Elementary School (Bethel)
We enjoyed our special guests Colleen Fisk and Sabrena Combs, who provided us with awesome activities, information about where our power comes from and fun materials. We are looking forward to the field trip to a substation and a pizza party celebration, but we are also very grateful for all the resources and knowledge we have gained by participating in this opportunity.
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, Kotzebue Electric Association, Nushagak Cooperative, Matanuska Electric Association, and Renewable Energy Alaska Project.
Thank you to the sponsors!
