Energy Education Workshops

On October 10^th -14^th , OEP traveled to Williamson County and hosted 11 K-12 Energy Education Workshops for 364 students and educators. This was for Williamson County’s SACC program which allows students the opportunity to play independently and participate in structured enrichment activities when school is not in session. Students and educators were provided demonstrations regarding energy-related topics, including sound energy, potential energy using Bournoulli's Principle, chemical reactions, electric circuitry, and radiant energy.

During the early morning of Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly. In a catastrophic situation, much of a five-county area received up to a quarter of normal annual rainfall in under twelve hours, totaling up to 10 to 15 inches. The town of Waverly was severely damaged by floodwater, with many homes and businesses destroyed and swept away.  The event set the 24-hour rainfall record in Tennessee, with over 20 inches of rain falling in McEwen. In Humphreys County, at least 509 homes were impacted by flooding. Eight public facilities and 44 commercial properties sustained damage, many of which were in downtown Waverly. 

Waverly Elementary and Middle School sit adjacent to each other along a small creek in Humphreys County. Waverly Elementary (485 students in Pre-K-3^rd) and Waverly Middle School (600 students in 4^th -8^th) were not in school when the 17 inches of rain fell. This was the third time in 11 years the schools have been flooded. However, this flood resulted in these schools being condemned. Waverly’s Educators lost their entire classrooms and years’ worth of teaching materials. Currently, Waverly’s student population have been relocated to the neighboring Humphreys County schools Lakeview Elementary School, Waverly Central High School, McEwen Elementary School, and McEwen Middle School.

OEP reached out to the Humphreys County Director of Schools and Waverly Elementary and Middle School principals to offer materials and lesson plans to teachers affected by the catastrophic flooding. OEP provided materials (KitBooks, Energy Sticks, Melting Blocks, and Hand Boilers) and lesson plans for Lakeview Elementary and McEwen Elementary. OEP will continue to provide Waverly teachers materials and resources throughout the remainder of the current and upcoming school year. 

“Thank you so much for your support! The kits are awesome, and we all really appreciate it! The kids love them!” –  Jessica O’Daniel - 3^rd grade teacher McEwen Elementary  

“Thank you for reaching out to us in our time of need. Very grateful and thankful for all that you’ve put together. I would love to update you on our current situation. As of two weeks ago we purchased the old acme boot building facility to transform it into a school that is set to begin in the next year. Currently, we are at Lakeview School and Waverly Central High School in computer labs, hallways, closets, and everywhere else you can imagine. We would love to partner and work with you and making all these things happen for our children. Our space is limited and progressing. Please tell everybody in your organization how grateful and thankful we are for you reaching out to help us. Praise God for you and everyone involved.” – Clayton Callicott - Principal Waverly Junior High School

TDEC Office of Energy Program’s K-12 program partnered with Nashville based Mr. Bond’s Science Guys to host a summer schedule of Virtual Live Energy Education shows. All the same fun as the in-person shows, but from the comfort and safety of their own home. These shows were based on their Energy Education program and included demonstrations on energy-related topics, including sound energy, potential energy, chemical reactions, and radiant energy. They performed over a dozen educational experiments which lasted approximately 35-40 minutes long. The virtual program reached 18 schools and libraries with 1500+ views. 

OEP traveled to Forks River Elementary in Smith County to host an after school K-12 energy education workshop for 60 students, parents, and educators. The hands on activities and demonstrations covered topics related to sound energy, potential energy, electromagnetic energy, electric circuitry, and radiant energy.

On December 19, TDEC OEP hosted two Energy Education Workshops for 98 students and educators at Millington Middle School in Shelby County. OEP partnered with the Nashville-based Science Guys program to provide demonstrations regarding energy-related topics, including transfer of energy, potential energy using Bernoulli’s Principle, electric circuitry, and radiant energy.

On November 12, OEP hosted a workshop at Merrol Hyde Magnet School for more than 100 students, educators, and parents. OEP demonstrated hands on energy concepts utilizing the Van De Graaff generator, hand boilers, and energy sticks. Students also made solar bracelets that teach them about the power of the sun and how the photochromic chemicals in the beads change color when exposed to electromagnetic radiation from the sun.

On November 7th, OEP traveled to Wilson County and hosted a K-12 Energy Education Workshops for 322 students and educators at Mount Juliet Elementary. Students and educators were provided demonstrations regarding energy-related topics, including sound energy, potential energy using Bournoulli's Principle, chemical reactions, electric circuitry, and radiant energy.