Education Programs

Energy Camps

If you are looking for exciting ways to educate students in your classroom, summer camp ideas, short workshops, or after school programs, give us a call at (517) 669-5389 for information on how we can help. We offer the classes outlined below but can create a custom curriculum to fit your needs. Schedule us for a few hours or for a whole week of renewable energy courses and experiments. Fees start as low as $5.00 per participant. Join us for some summer fun at our Summer 2012 Energy Camps

WIND

Potential energy meets kinetic energy
Student groups will use a variety of household materials to build a mechanical wind turbine. No prior experience is necessary; grades 3 and up. This activity is limited to 30 students. Space for building and testing, and electrical outlets are required for this activity. (1.5-2 hours)

Wind turbine electricity generation
Students will facilitate the transfer of kinetic energy to electrical energy. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 4 and up. Space for building and testing, and electrical outlets are required for this activity. There is a materials fee per turbine if you would like to keep them. (1hour) ***See Wind turbine blade design challenge activity for a lesson extension.

Wind turbine blade design challenge
The goal of this class is to design the best turbine blades for maximum electrical voltage. Students will be instructed in blade design features that affect the efficiency of wind capture. Classroom and building space and electrical outlets are required. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 4 and up. (2 hours)

SOLAR

Solar powered Lego car
Students work together or individually to build a solar powered Lego vehicle. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 2 and up. Space for building and access to the outdoors is required for this activity. (1.5-2 hours)

Solar powered flashlight
This activity incorporates recycling by using a plastic bottle to craft a solar powered flashlight. Students can work in groups or individually. There is a materials fee for each flashlight built, and the activity is limited to 25 students, grades 6 and up. Classroom space is required. (2 hours)

Solar oven
Students will work in groups to design and build a functional solar powered oven. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 4 and up. Classroom space and outdoor space are required. (2-3 hours, depending on activity)

Solar still
Students will learn how to make a solar still in order to harvest drinkable water from undrinkable water. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 4 and up. Classroom space and outdoor space are required. (2-3 hours, depending on activity)

Solar radiation water pasteurization
A life saving lesson! Untreated water often has harmful bacteria and microbes that can cause illness and even death. Students will pasteurize untreated water using solar radiation. This lesson incorporates data collection, solar energy observation, and creative innovation all while learning a survivor skill. The activity is limited to 20 students, grades 6 and up. Outdoor learning space is required. (2-3 hours)
World's Largest Solar Bag!
An amazing way to demonstrate the principals of solar energy. Watch the world's largest solar bag rise by using the sun's energy to heat the air inside the bag, the 50 feet long black bag rises into the sky.

BIOMASS

Biomass to heat energy conversion
Students will build a biomass burner and will observe the heat energy conversion from burning a biomass source. Data collection, recording, and reporting will be included in this activity. This activity is limited to 20 students, grades 6 and up. Classroom space is required for this activity. (2 hours)

Ethanol from biomass
Students will observe the process of fermentation and the challenge of producing ethanol from cellulosic sources. This activity is limited to 20 students, grades 6 and up. Classroom space is required for this activity. (2-3 hours)

Renewable and nonrenewable heat energy comparison
Student groups will experiment with different types of fuel in a heat comparison exercise. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 6 and up. Classroom space is required for this activity. (2 hours)

HYDROPOWER

Hydropower harnessed
Students will design and build a small scale functioning water wheel and turbine. This activity is limited to 30 students, grades 3 and up. Classroom space and internet connection are required for this activity. (3 hours)

GEOTHERMAL

Geothermal power
Students will produce an experiment that demonstrates how a geothermal power plant works. This activity is limited to 25 students, grades 6 and up. Classroom space and internet connection are required for this activity. (3 hours)

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY and CONSERVATION

Carbon footprints
Students will learn about carbon footprints, emissions, and environmental impacts on the environment. This activity incorporates both science and language arts standards. The activity is limited to 30 students, grades 6 and up. Classroom space, computers, and internet access are required for this activity. (1.5 hours)

Comparison of light bulb efficiencies
Students will experiment with various light bulbs to determine wattage and effciency. This activity is limited to 30 students, grades 5 and up. Grades 4 and under may also experience this lesson without the worksheet activity. Classroom space is required for the worksheet activity. (1 hour)

Conservation and recycling
Students discover landfill statistics, recycling practices, and conservation techniques. This activity is limited to 30 students, grades 3 and up. Classroom space and internet connection are required for this activity. (3 hours)

Great Lakes Energy Service, Inc.’s Renewable Energy Mobile Classroom provides students with a unique learning experience that targets national and state of Michigan science standards.

For grades 4-7, students are exposed to Science Processes: Inquiry Process, Physical Science, and Reflection and Social Implications, and Earth Science. Specifically, students make observations (S.IP), generate questions (S.IP), manipulate tools that aid observation (S.IP), share ideas via communication in collaborative groups (S.IA), demonstrate scientific concepts through activities (S.RS), identify current problems that may not be solved by technology (S.RS), identify heat and electricity as forms of energy (P.EN), demonstrate how electrical energy is transferred through the use of a simple circuit (P.EN), develop an understanding of how different forms of energy are transferred by radiation, conduction or convection (P.EN), identify that nuclear reactions take place in the sun, producing heat and light (P.EN), understand that only a tiny fraction of light energy from the sun is transformed to heat on Earth (P.EN), identify the smallest component that makes up an element (P.PM) understand how the warming of the Earth by the sun produces winds (E.ES), and develop an understanding that the origins of pollution in the atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere impact climate change, habitats, and species (E.ES).

Secondary students experience the same learning activities as the younger grades, but the standards are organized under Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology.
If you would like a list of the specific standards that your students will be experiencing in our Mobile Classroom, please contact our Education Director, Shannon Norris at
snorris@greatlakesenergyservice.org, indicating grade level, subject taught (for secondary teachers) and length of time your students will have in the classroom.

Download Camp brochure

Join us for some summer fun at our Summer 2012 Energy Camps

Mobile Renewable Energy Classroom

Our classroom is designed for youth and community groups interested in learning about renewable energy. The classroom demonstrates renewable energy technology to students of all ages. What makes this mobile classroom special is that students can manipulate real working renewable energy equipment. Students can learn about solar photovoltaic processes, solar water heating, wind turbines, lighting, energy efficiency, recycling and more. To learn more about the classroom visit our virtual visit page or contact us at 517.669.5389. To reserve your spot, complete the Mobile Classroom Tour Request Form or contact us directly.

GLES is now scheduling for Fall 2011 and beyond in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

"The Renewable Energy Trailer visit last Friday was fantastic! As teachers we felt like it targeted specific skills and knowledge for our students and prompted them for what is to come. We would be very honored and thrilled to have you come back next year. We are hoping to schedule it around the same time of year as we did this year. "

-Ivy Schmidt
Bennett Woods
Okemos Public Schools

Education Department Program Advances Sustainable Schools

The U.S. Department of Education announced on April 26 the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools for effectively managing their carbon footprint. The new awards program will be run by the Education Department with the support of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The program will encourage school systems to take comprehensive approaches to becoming green by cutting expenses through energy efficiency and green building measures.

DOE estimates that smarter energy management in U.S. schools, which spent $6-8 billion on energy in 2000, could reduce energy consumption by as much as 25% and could cut school energy costs nationally by more than $1 billion annually. While many states have already established either green school programs or environmental literacy plans, the Green Ribbon Schools program will be modeled after the Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which annually honors public and private schools that are either high-performing or have improved student achievement to high levels. Through the Green Ribbon Schools program, the Education Department, the EPA, and CEQ will recognize schools for energy conservation. The application for the program will be released later this year, and the first group of winners will be announced next year. See the Department of Education press release.

America's Home Energy Education Challenge has been launched by DOE, U.S. Dept. of Education, and National Science Teachers Assoc. Part of the overall challenge will be the Home Energy Challenge, a competition this fall allowing school teams to use energy efficiency activities that reduce energy use in their homes. Participating schools can compete for more than $200,000 in prizes. The second part of the overall challenge will be the Energy Fitness Award to encourage students to better understand basic energy issues. Winners will be named school-by-school. http://www.homeenergychallenge.org/index.html