Local students learn saving energy can be fun, helpful

Thanks to Aiken Electric Cooperative, eight Aiken County's elementary schools have or will receive energy-saving learning kits.

The cooperative is dedicated to promoting energy efficiency to area students, said communications coordinator Muriel Carter.

J.D. Lever Elementary School recently received its kits.

"The Lever Lion third-grade teachers are receiving these classroom kits to help you learn about co-ops, energy efficiency, renewable energy and electric safety," said Aiken Electric Cooperative CEO Gary Stooksbury as he presented the kits to Principal Renee Mack.

Stooksbury said he wanted the elementary teachers to know that these kits work hand-in-hand with an online education component, palmettopower.com, which is co-sponsored by Aiken Electric.

"Teachers, you can go to this website and download activities and lesson plans that pertain to electricity and renewable energy that has been designed with the S.C. Department of Education standards for science," Stooksbury said.

J.D. Lever's third-grade teachers and students attended the event. Aiken Electric also brought CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) floodlights for the building's exterior lighting and school supplies for each thirdgrader.

Other participants included Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt and Touchstone Energy's "CFL Charlie" mascot. The friendly, giant CFL bulb greeted students and assisted in distributing supplies.

Through Aiken Electric's efforts, said teacher Sarah Walton, the children learned the importance of energy conservation.

"The students thoroughly loved the presentation," she said. "The third-grade teachers were given classroom kits that came with lesson plans that they can utilize within the classroom."

The kits, designed specifically for thirdgraders, are packed with materials that will teach kids how to become "Super Energy Savers" at home, such as take-home checklists for kids and parents to identify energy-saving practices, Super Energy Saver certificates signed by CFL Charlie, activity sheets and folders and CFL Charlie switch plate covers that remind kids to turn off lights to save energy.

Aiken Electric Cooperative is implementing this program in conjunction with many other Touchstone Energy cooperatives, in an effort to better serve its member-owners nationwide.

Aiken Electric, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, is a customer-owned, nonprofit electric utility serving more than 45,000 members in a nine-county area in South Carolina.