THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY INTRODUCES eesmarts CURRICULUM FOR SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE
/24-7PressRelease.com/ - March 24, 2005 - New Haven, Conn. - The United Illuminating Company (UI) with its partner, Connecticut Light and Power (CLandP), has completed development on the next level of its eesmarts" curriculum - grades six through eight. Launched in 2003 with curriculum for kindergarten through grade five, eesmarts is a one-of-a-kind school curriculum designed to develop an energy efficiency ethic among all Connecticut students. Integrating middle school science, math and language arts standards, and focusing on the critical thinking skills students will need to solve problems in years ahead, the series offers an ideal opportunity for interdisciplinary teaching. It is currently available at no cost to schools throughout Connecticut.
UI is currently delivering its sixth through eighth grade "Energy in Our Lives" curriculum, which brings students face to face with the science, technology and energy challenges they will face in the 21st Century. The curriculum includes a series of twelve lessons - four at each middle school grade level - highlighting energy transformation, the environmental impacts of energy use, the challenges of delivering electricity to homes and communities, and the practical advantages of energy efficiency. In addition, an essay contest will be offered twice per year for students to write about smart energy use. The current contest is for six and seventh graders and the winners will be announced at the beginning of June.
"We are so excited to complete our middle school curriculum offering," said Tyfannie Mack, program administrator for the eesmarts for UI. "Now, students in middle school will be able to have fun and learn about energy efficiency just like students in the elementary grades."
Developed by UI, eesmarts consists of a series of packaged, grade-specific curriculums that build concepts from one grade level to the next in a comprehensive sequence, teaching students important energy concepts and then empowering them to make important decisions about energy use in their daily lives. UI worked with a team of Connecticut-certified educators to develop a curriculum that teaches children about energy and conservation, and is supportive of the Connecticut Mastery Test, the Connecticut State Framework and the National Science Standards.
The curriculum, funded by the state"s Energy Conservation and Load Management Fund, is available to teachers and their classes at no cost, and all schools in UI and CLandP service territories are eligible. In addition to the packaged curriculum units, eesmarts also offers continuing education unit (CEU) workshops, educational tours at the SmartLiving Center located at 297 Boston Post Road in Orange and resources for teachers, also at no cost.
Officially launched in March 2003, eesmarts is currently being used in more than 4,700 kindergarten through grade five classrooms, reaching over 94,000 students in approximately 100 towns across Connecticut. When completed, an entire eesmarts curriculum will be available for kindergarten through grade 12. For more information, visit www.eesmarts.com or call (877) 514-2594.
The eesmarts program is made possible by the Connecticut Energy Conservation and Load Management Fund (the Fund), which was created by the Connecticut legislature to promote efficient energy use, save residents and businesses money on their electric bills, promote economic development, reduce electric demand and help reduce air pollution. UI administers the Fund through conservation programs that serve residential, commercial and industrial customers as well as low and fixed-income residents and municipalities.
The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a New Haven-based regional distribution utility established in 1899. UI is engaged in the purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and related services to more than 320,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. UI"s World Wide Web address is http://www.uinet.com/. UI"s parent company, UIL Holdings Corporation, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UIL.
Conservation Programs are funded by the Conservation Charge on customer bills. They are designed to help customers manage their energy usage and reduce their costs.
14.12.2005 - 20:35 Source: 24-7pressrelease.com | Read: 282 X
