The 4th-grade team at Shawnee Heights Elementary School teamed up with Evergy to provide students with an immersive experience that bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications.
During this Energy Day, the Power Town demonstration was conducted in collaboration with Evergy's Linemen Operations. Students witnessed firsthand how electricity travels from a generating station to their homes during this demonstration. They also gained insights into the challenges posed by various types of breaks in the power lines and received crucial safety reminders for dealing with electrical failures and encountering downed power lines.
Supervisors from two energy facilities, the Jeffery Energy Center (coal-fired plant in St. Mary's) and the Wolf Creek Generating Center (nuclear plant in Burlington), joined forces to give students engaging presentations. The presentations covered the energy generation process, from processing raw materials to the operation of turbines. The students also learned how these plants contribute to the broader power grid, particularly during national events. The supervisors shared their experiences, shedding light on their educational backgrounds, ongoing training, and the intricacies of their professions.
Adding a touch of modern technology to the learning experience, Unmanned Systems brought its Mobile Command Center to the school. Students saw firsthand how technology is revolutionizing the energy industry, with demonstrations featuring Sparky, the robot dog, and flying drones. The Unmanned Systems team showcased the tools used to assess and evaluate systems in high-risk situations. Students even had the opportunity to manipulate the camera on the flying drone, experiencing the detailed visuals that help operators make critical decisions.
In preparation for this enriching experience, the Shawnee Heights 4th-grade team incorporated additional content into their core curriculum. Students dove into topics such as nuclear power generation, including its environmental effects, coal formation, and motors' inner workings. The goal was to empower students to ask insightful questions and establish connections between their classroom knowledge and the practical applications presented during the sessions.
"We are very excited to bring this initiative to our students, and we anticipate making it an annual event," said Dana Hill, a member of the SHES 4th-grade teaching team.
This partnership allows students to connect theoretical concepts learned in school to real-world scenarios in their community and exposes them to potential career paths they might consider in the future.
The school hopes that this collaborative effort will not only enhance the educational experience for its students but also serve as a model for integrating practical, industry-relevant learning into the standard curriculum. The broader aim is to inspire a new generation of thinkers and innovators who are well-versed in theory and capable of applying their knowledge in meaningful ways.