Tiogue wins award for energy work

COVENTRY — This year, Tiogue Elementary School was among four schools in the state to receive national awards from the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project. Other schools include Western Coventry and North Scituate Elementary Schools and Scituate High School.

Governor Gina Raimondo was pleased to congratulate the students on an outstanding energy education project: Super Scientist Energy Club. Tiogue Elementary School was selected as Rhode Island Elementary Rookie of the Year and National Elementary Rookie of the Year.

The project began the first day of school, when students from one of the fifth-grade classes “buddied” up with a student from the first grade to work on ways to save energy by conducting various experiments that demonstrate ways energy is created and conducted, spreading awareness about saving energy by creating posters and other literature and by creating a garden.

According to projectenergy.org, the NEED project began almost 35 years ago as a one-day celebration of energy education when National Energy Education Day was recognized by a Joint Congressional Resolution.

In the same year, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation stressing the need for comprehensive energy education in our schools, a reduction of our dependence of fossil fuels, and increasing use of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency.

Since that time, NEED has kept its Kids Teaching Kids philosophy as a fundamental principle of NEED programming, encouraging students to explore, experiment, and engage, and encouraging teachers to embrace student leadership in the classroom.

The organization trains and assists teachers in harnessing the energy of the classroom the energy of students. Students use hands-on, inquiry based lessons to explore the physics and chemistry of energy. The organization works hard to help teachers meet the requirements of state standards, Common Core, and the Next Generation Science Standards.

As states adopt their new standards, NEED will continue working to provide state alignments to our entire curriculum portfolio.

“It’s been amazing to watch the students grow in their science knowledge and really take to heart, their learning and helping the environment at the same time,” said Louise Seitsinger, elementary school principal.”

Science teacher Donna Raptakis is invited to attend the NEED National Recognition Ceremony scheduled for June 24-27, 2016 in Washington, D.C.