New York 8th Grade Promotes Changing Bulbs In Bellmore and Soon Across New York State
BELLMORE, NY (May 21, 2007) – A team of teachers at Grand Avenue Middle School in Bellmore, New York recently brought not only energy conservation but also energy leadership and activism into the classroom and into their students’ lives. They became focused on getting parents to change out power-hungry incandescent light bulbs for power-conserving compact fluorescent units (CFLs). They used an internet initiative as both a resource and a way to track the results of their efforts. A few weeks ago, Sean Krieg, the team’s science teacher, created their "Team Dakota" group on One Billion Bulbs (OneBillionBulbs.com). The team currently has 83 members and has changed 188 bulbs to compact fluorescents.
Each of the teachers on the team teaches one subject area to the same group of approximately 120 eighth grade students and has incorporated energy conservation into his or her specific subject area. For example, in their math class, the students calculated the energy savings that would occur if every household in the United States swapped out an incandescent bulb for a compact fluorescent. Meanwhile, in their English class, the students have been doing energy conservation-related reading and writing projects.
According to Bellmore’s eighth grade science teacher Sean Krieg, "The students are really getting into it, and some have made spectacular changes in their households – six of the students have been responsible for changing more than 10 light bulbs apiece, and one of them has changed out 21 light bulbs. The students will be pushing for change outside their homes as well since another class project will include writing letters to politicians to encourage them to push for more energy conservation.”
The team of teachers who began the Bellmore, New York initiative also has an expanded vision for the future. They would like to mobilize other eighth grade teachers and students across New York State to change light bulbs to promote energy conservation.
Sean Krieg concluded, "If people in other cities or states, even other countries want to change their bulbs as part of Grand Avenue Middle School’s initiative - that would be great!"
More information on the work of the students and teachers at Grand Avenue Middle School can be found at: /Group/TeamDAKOTA.
